They Tell Me How Much You Care - cruisinforarubberman - Batman (2024)

Chapter 1

Chapter Text

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It was rare for the Narrows to be so quiet at night. Typically the hours after dark were peppered with either gunshots, screaming or yelling, the clamor of drunken bar patrons, or even at the worst times, the destruction caused by one of Gotham’s Rogue Gallery. Yet this night seemed to lay still for once. Peaceful in a way only the most dangerous part of the most dangerous city could be.

In a little corner of the calmed chaos was a building with only a few lights still on in the windows. St. Aden’s Orphanage, recently renamed St. Aden’s Home For Children after the sudden budget increase, was in a calm state. It was bedtime for the young ones, and in the one room most of them shared they were gathered around as their bedtime story was being finished.

There were multiple bunk beds along every wall of the room, a few dressers and places for clothes and toys which were all neatly packed away for the night, and a soft round rug in the center. A few children sat or lied on the top bunks, looking down at the middle of the room. Some sat on the bottom bunks. However most were crowded together on the rug around their story reader as he turned another page.

His name was Colin. He had soft ginger hair that was a little messy and fell like a curtain over his forehead and almost into his eyes. His eyes were dark, black, just the same as anyone else who hadn’t yet found their soulmate. But he was only ten, and thoughts like that were far from his mind. Those eyes, which seemed to always be a little sad even when he was happy, were now moving across the last few pages of the book he held. On either side of him leaned a younger kid, and the littlest one of all sat on his lap, but still he effortlessly continued reading out loud, all eyes on him as his voice sucked them deep into the story.

When Colin reached the final page, his voice was a calm lullaby for the sleepy kids around him.

“ And so she hung up her shield, and she hung up her sword, and she laid down her weary head. Her long and hard journey was finished forever. Tomorrow would come, and maybe she might have another adventure waiting for her, but for now she would sleep. In dreams, in serenity, in peace, she would fly once again. ” Gently, he closed the book. “The end.”

Most kids would complain when the story was done, but not the children of St. Aden’s. There were soft sighs and yawns as they stood up and climbed into their beds, wishing each other good night in low voices. The Sisters, who had been watching over them from the doorway, stepped into the room to tuck them in and kiss them goodnight while they turned off the lamps and turned on the nightlights.

Colin helped the littlest one, a dark skinned boy named Tyler who was only five, under the covers. He was about to move away when Tyler pulled on the sleeve of his pajamas.

“I dun wanna go ta sleep, Collie.” he whispered. As he did, his eyes drooped further.

“How come, Ty?” Colin asked, as he knelt down on the floor near his pillow.

“‘Cause…’cause it’ll be tomorrow if I do. The grown up’s will come, and we won’t get ‘dopted even if we be good. ‘Specially me…”

Colin’s smile was full of gentle affection as he rubbed Tyler’s tummy to help him sleep. “Well,” he whispered, “that’s just not true.”

“How d’you know?” Tyler asked, genuinely curious.

“‘Cause good things happen when we don’t expect them to. You just never know. I got a good feeling about tomorrow, though. Something good will happen.”

A little yucky feeling sat in Colin’s stomach for a second as he told the tiny fib. He didn’t really know how tomorrow was going to go, in fact he was worried about it, too. But Colin would do anything to help the other kids feel better, so the yucky feeling soon went away as he watched Tyler’s eyes close and felt him breathe more deeply.

Stepping away from one bunk bed, Colin went to another and stepped up a few rungs of the ladder so he could be face to face with the young girl in it. She was seven, the second oldest after him. “How’re you doin’, Shannon?” he asked quietly.

She made a face at him, unhappy because he was blocking her view of the window. Which was why Colin climbed up to talk to her, since he knew she was staring out through it.

“You gotta get some sleep, Shan.” Colin said, but not without sympathy.

She pushed her wavy hair away from her face. Her brown eyes looked like they might cry. “What if Mikey’s not sleepin’ somewhere safe?”

Colin thought for a second about what to say. He wasn’t sure the right thing to tell her. Shannon and Mikey were soulmates. They had one of the rarer cases in the world, where they met in preschool. They had looked at each other, winced from the short stinging feeling that happened when their eyes turned their true color, and were bonded together from that moment on. They were rarely apart, but Shannon had been in the system since she was a baby and Mikey had only lost his parents in a robbery gone wrong a few years ago. Even though they had each other Mikey had started to act out and someone in charge, Colin had no idea who, thought it was best if Shannon still lived at St. Aden’s while Mikey went to live with a foster family in the neighborhood. The only problem was that sometimes Mikey took off without telling anyone where he was going, even though they all knew he was sneaking out to see Shannon. But there was nothing they could do if he stayed out at night time. You just didn’t call the cops in the Narrows, even when you needed help finding a runaway kid. Cop’s only make a bigger mess.

“Do you trust him, Shan?” Colin asked even though he knew the answer.

“Yes.” She didn’t waver at all when she said it.

“Then you gotta believe that he did the right thing and went back to his fosters’ place tonight. And you’ll probably see him tomorrow.”

“Yeah?”

“Of course. He wouldn’t miss a chance to hang out with you all day.” Colin gave her a reassuring smile even as he was thinking in his head, ‘And when I see him I’m gonna give him a piece of my mind for making you worry.”

She seemed to finally relax at those words. “Okay. G’night, Colin.”

“Goodnight.”

He stepped back down the ladder in time for Sister Agnes, the head of St. Aden’s, to quietly usher him out of the room as the last of the children were settling down into their beds. She gave his shoulder a soft squeeze as he watched her close the door to the now silent and dark bedroom.

When she cupped his cheek in her hand Colin couldn’t help but lean against her. “You can always get them to go right to sleep. Thank you for reading to them tonight, Colin.”

A little glow came to life inside his heart at the praise. Colin lived for the moments he could make things easier for everyone around him, especially the Sisters. “I like to do it.” Was the only thing he said in reply. He closed his eyes when she began to stroke his hair, and echoed the goodnight she said to the other two Sisters, Sister Rachel and Sister Carrie. It wasn’t long before he could hear them quietly walking down the stairs to their own room.

“Come dear, you should get ready for bed, too. Tomorrow will be very busy.”

‘It sure will.’ Colin thought as Sister Agnes guided him toward the upstairs bathroom. He had already washed for the night after the others were finished and getting dressed for bed. But he hadn’t brushed his teeth yet, which Sister Agnes noticed and gave him an understanding look for. It was strange, but somehow it was a code between the two. When Colin left his teeth brushing for last it was his way of asking if they could talk, alone, without the others around.

She flipped the light on in the room. “What’s on your mind tonight?”

“Well…” Colin didn’t rush as he prepared his toothbrush. “I was just thinking about tomorrow, that’s all.”

She looked a little concerned. “Are you worried?”

“Not...as much as I could be.” He admitted, dripping a little water from the facet onto his brush. “But I was really thinking about after the fundraiser party.”

As he started to brush he could see in the mirror over the sink Sister Agnes leaning against the doorway, her hands clasped in front of her. “Oh were you?”

“Yeah!” He said, pulling the brush from his mouth. “When Mr. Wayne donated the first time, a while ago? So many things were able to get fixed. We got the new washing machine, and we got the roof replaced, and we got new stuff for the kitchen, too.”

As Colin talked he didn’t notice the sad look grow on Sister Agnes’ face each time he said “we”.

“But that’s just the start, right? We’ll be able to do so much more after tomorrow. Mr. Wayne got all those people with money to come tomorrow for the private box donation. Who knows how much they might give us? But all the articles I read on the computer said Mr. Wayne is really good at getting people to be generous.”

“Yes, perhaps he is.” she said as she stepped into the room and guided the hand holding Colin’s toothbrush back to his mouth. “Keep brushing, dear. I’d like to talk to you, too.”

“What about?” he asked before starting up again.

She paused, bringing a hand up to her face. It was what she did when she was thinking of what to say. “Tomorrow isn’t just a fundraiser. It’s also a Meet the Children event.”

“Mhm.” Colin agreed, his mouth full.

When Sister Agnes looked upward, Colin knew she was feeling hopeful. “I’ve prayed every night this week that we’ll have an adoption tomorrow. At least one is all I’ve dared to ask for.”

Colin nodded. He prayed for the same thing the night before, trying hard to think of all the kids at the same time as he whispered the words at his bedside. If they could all get adopted...but that was a bit too much to hope for. He’d learned that over the years. Good things tend to happen one at a time, and usually few and far between. It would be greedy to ask for so much, even if every kid there deserved to have a forever family.

“...have you thought about the idea of someone asking to adopt you tomorrow, Colin?”

He didn’t mean to choke on the toothpaste in his mouth, but at her question he had inhaled from surprise and it just kind of happened. Coughing as quietly as he could, Colin spat into the sink while Sister Agnes reached over him to fill a cup with water from the tap. He took it from her to gargle and clear his throat before spitting into the sink again. He wanted to answer her but instead cleaned his toothbrush and put it away.

He found himself pausing, hands resting on the sink, when Sister Agnes rubbed his back between his shoulders.

“I’m sorry Colin dear. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

He wanted to say it was fine. He wanted to tell her that everything would be okay. He wanted, in a very deep down place inside him, to get mad and tell her to give up already. Ten years of being in the system, three foster family failures, and a society that even in these modern times was still only just getting past the superstitions they believed about abandoned children did not leave a boy like Colin with good odds. He hated to think about it, but it seemed very likely that he would age out in eight years and he wouldn’t be the city’s problem anymore. What he cared about when it came down to it, was where he was going to be during those eight years. But he would never say these things to her. This was Sister Agnes. Sister Agnes always welcomed him back with open arms, no matter what went wrong. If there was some way, any way, to repay her for all of her kindness, he’d do it. Even if it meant staying at St. Aden’s just so he could help look after the younger kids and keep the place running smoothly. She wanted what was best for him, and he knew that, but he wanted to do what was best for them .

These thoughts roared through his mind like thunder, and not for the first time. But, like thunder, the urge to blurt these things out loud passed. It took him a minute to calm down, and in that time Sister Agnes stood by, ever patient.

When he finally looked up at her Colin said in a voice that made him seem too old to be ten, “I just...don’t want to get my hopes up again.”

He knew it wasn’t fair to say that, even if he wanted the subject changed. And when he saw her eyes start to tear up ever so slightly for him, he couldn’t help hugging her around the middle, pressing his face into the dark fabric of her habit. Colin’s heart clenched when he heard her gently sniffle into the handkerchief she pulled out, letting the feeling of guilt sit heavy inside him.

However, like the kind of solid foundation a place like a children’s home needed, Sister Agnes soon steadied herself. She returned his hug briefly, but was soon ushering him out of the room and turning off the light.

“Oh, Colin…”

“I’m sorry.”

“You don’t have to say you’re sorry, Colin. You haven’t done anything wrong.”

It still felt like he had. But he could never lie to Sister Agnes. Not when she was as close to a mother as he had ever had.

With her arm around him they walked down to the end of the upstairs hallway. The last door on the left was Colin’s room. The light was on when they stepped in. It wasn’t a very big room, in fact it was only a bit smaller than the one the other kids were in and that room was pretty crowded. Two bunk beds could fit comfortably in here, but it only had Colin’s single bed pressed against the far wall with the bottom half under the window. He would have shared it with the others, but there was some law that said kids ten and over had to have their own room. So he had a room to himself and something else to feel guilty over.

Even though he knew it would be, it still filled Colin with relief to see the window cracked open and the screen letting the night breeze in. He couldn’t stand to have it closed. The room felt so open with the window cracked and the summer night air coming in. Maybe it wasn’t the cleanest, but it was better than being in a closed off room with no way out.

Shaking the thought from his head, Colin found himself naturally walking inside and climbing up onto the end of his bed. When he turned around to sit properly and face Sister Agnes again he already felt at ease being in the familiar space. Even though she still looked like there were things she wanted to say to him.

After a moment she stepped over to him and smoothed down his hair. Colin smiled at the touch, and the kiss that was placed on top of his head.

“Goodnight, dear.”

“Goodnight, Sister Agnes.”

Colin was allowed to stay up another hour after the younger kids went to bed, but he usually went to sleep when they did. So when she headed toward his door she only said, “Be sure to get some rest.” Sister Agnes never had to worry about Colin following the rules, even if she wished he’d enjoy his privileges more often.

He was about to crawl up towards his pillow and climb under the covers when she spoke again.

“Colin?”

“Yes?” he asked, a little hesitantly.

She gave him a small, sad smile. “Just...keep an open mind. Alright?”

Colin didn’t know what to say to that, so he just watched her turn off the light and pull the door almost but not fully closed, and waited for the sound of her walking away to fade.

Letting out a sigh, he turned and walked on his knees to the window. For a little while he let himself watch the lines of the rooftops across the street, ignoring the occasional distant car horn or the sound of a car driving by. There were no stars in the Gotham sky, but his eyes never trailed far from where the building tops met the endless beyond.

That was when he saw it. On one of the higher buildings a few streets down, a shadow moved quickly along the top of the building and jumped down onto another. They went behind a doorway that led up to the roof and Colin lost sight of them.

Colin gasped softly, pressing his hands against the glass and bringing his nose closer. He waited, almost holding his breath, watching those few buildings and the next few down the line for another movement. Another person .

After a few more eager minutes of watching and hoping Colin sat back on his bed, hands moving down to rest on the windowsill. He probably wouldn’t see anyone else patrolling tonight. But that is what that shadow was doing, he knew it deep down inside of him.

One of them was out watching over Gotham tonight.

Colin looked up toward the wall above the head of his bed. The entire corner had newspaper articles and pictures printed out from the computer taped or sticky tacked to the walls. There weren’t a lot of them, just Colin’s favorites.

Moving over to the right of the window, he reached up and rested his fingertips on the corner of one of the pictures. He remembered the day he’d found that article online, and the way he couldn’t get the picture included with it out of his head. He’d waited a whole week to come back to the library so he could print it out, keeping it safe between the pages of his book until he could bring it upstairs and hang it next to the others.

The picture had been taken at night, because the two figures in frame had no details to be seen besides the silhouette. But what a side shot it was! The taller one, legs pulled up mid jump, hands clasping his cape on either side which flowed out behind him, the pointed tips of his cowl as his head bent forward. And ahead of him, but only by a bit, caught in the perfect arc of a swing from his grappling hook, his cape also trailing behind him, was the smaller, sleeker figure that made up the other half of the Dynamic Duo.

Batman and Robin. Even thinking their names seemed to be too loud for the night.

‘It could’ve been one of them.’ Colin thought. If not them, then maybe one of the other protectors of Gotham. There was no way to know for sure, it was hard to see them from so far away.

A sense of safety settled itself on Colin like a familiar blanket. They were out there. That was all Colin needed to know, it didn’t really matter which one it was. Even if it was only one in a few times Colin had seen one of them out there, the feeling of being looked after was still the same. The Narrows were safer tonight.

Almost reluctantly, Colin made himself climb under the covers and settle down into his bed. The excitement was beginning to fade, and he really was tired after all. Before fully laying down his head, he whispered the only words that seemed right to say if somehow, someway, they could hear him.

“Be careful…”

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St. Aden’s was too exposed. It stood out like a sore thumb with it’s tall, iron fence surrounding it and the only green lawn with the only tree for miles around. Unless of course you traveled northeast several miles and ran across the natural disaster that was Toxic Acres. Still, it was an oasis in a desert, a gem in a box of rocks, a...a boat on the shark infested sea. Yes, that was an apt descriptor. If a criminal wanted to target the place in order to raid the Meet the Children Fundraiser, it would have been too easy. Or at least it would if a certain clan of vigilantes weren’t currently scoping the building out from every possible angle.

From where he stood, foot resting up on the ledge of the tallest building within a three mile radius of the orphanage, Robin found himself holding back a scowl. While he usually appreciated Father’s way of being thorough with any task, even he found this excessive. They’d already had security comb the location top to bottom during the daylight hours, and Father planned to have bodyguards at every entrance tomorrow. Now they were here to do one last sweep of the grounds with the technology it didn’t make sense for Bruce Wayne and family to have access to. There would be no bombs planted tonight, no guns or weapons would make it past the gate tomorrow, and anyone mildly suspicious would be detained in moments. All of this effort, all of this work, for an orphanage. For...orphans. Although with that being said, Father has been known to have an M.O. of sorts when it came to orphans.

The green domino mask Robin wore shifted as he narrowed his eyes and peered closer at his target through the compact binoculars he held. The lights on the ground level had been turned off for several minutes now. They needed them all gone, but there was one still glowing from a window on the second floor. As soon as it was off...there!

Raising a gloved hand to his ear, he pressed the comm tucked into it.

“Nightwing, you’re clear.”

There wasn’t a verbal reply, but through the binoculars he could see the black and blue suited hero as he casually flipped from his hands onto his feet. Nightwing had been in position for over ten minutes, and, as he was want to do when unoccupied, had been amusing himself by going between handstands and being upright. Robin watched as the older hero moved to place small devices on each corner of St. Aden’s flat rooftop. Nightwing had years of training, so there was no doubt that he was able to move across even the most frail of roofs without making even the slightest hint of a sound or alerting anyone inside the building that he was there.

After a few moments he stood from his kneeling position in one corner. When he lifted his hand to his ear Robin could hear his hushed voice crystal clear.

“It’s all set.” His voice sounded it’s usual friendly self. “There’s no access from inside, so if anyone gets up here and we hear about it, they’re in big trouble.”

“Acknowledged.” he replied.

Through the binoculars Robin could see him look in his general direction before a soft chuckle and teasing tone came through the comm. “No congrats for a job well done?”

“Don’t hold your breath.” he answered dryly, thankful that the distance hid the fact that the corner of his mouth twitched slightly in amusem*nt. Darn you, Grayson.

A deeper, more serious voice came in just then. “Good job. Continue the rest of your route and check in later.”

“Aw, thanks, B. At least someone’s nice to me.” Robin rolled his eyes and watched Nightwing leap from St. Aden’s roof and activate his grapple with ease. Within moments he was swinging off into the night, headed in the direction of Gotham Village.

“Robin, to me.”

“On my way.” Tucking the binoculars into his belt Robin spared St. Aden’s one last glance before turning and beginning his run across the rooftop. When he got to the edge he leapt, tucking as he’d been taught so that when he neared the next roof he fell naturally into a roll and was back on his feet in moments. He dodged around the door leading to the stairwell of the building and kept moving, rooftop to rooftop, heading to the rondevu Father had specified near where Otisburg met the Narrows.

Father’s voice came onto the comm again. “Red Robin, status update.”

Robin resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he kept on the move, which became harder when Red Robin responded.

“Everything’s fine down here, Batman. A couple muggings, one attempted carjacking, and a creep with a few less teeth than before. East End’s tame tonight.” He almost sounded bored.

Father made a noncommittal hum in response, and Robin held back from making a comment about Drake being given a sector of Gotham to patrol on his own. In due time it would be his turn. For now, being within Batman’s vicinity was where he was meant to be.

In a few minutes Sacred Heart Hospital was in view ahead of him. He was on the last rooftop before a large gap caused by a freeway between him and where he needed to be. His hand was on his grapple before he stepped up onto the ledge, he aimed his shot as he began his leap, and it hit home as he began the drop, snapping taunt as he fell into a swing. Before hitting the crest he released the grapple, propelling forward onto his intended target and landing smoothly in a crouch.

When he stood it was to see a tall, dark figure step out of the shadows.

“Father.” Robin said in acknowledgement.

Batman stood before him, over six feet tall, the kevlar of his suit as dark as the night around them. Robin only just reached his elbow in height. Even though he had seen the man without his cowl many times now, it didn’t diminish the way his presence carried such intimidation when he was the Bat. He, Robin, was his partner, his equal in this nocturnal war. He would prove his worth and do whatever it took to continue fighting at his father’s side.

It nearly jarred him when Batman spoke and broke his train of thought, but he masked it well.

“How was the perimeter?” he asked in his gravelly voice.

“Secure, as you expected. All of Oracle’s cameras are still in place, camouflaged, and functional. She can view St. Aden’s from any angle she wants within a ten mile radius.” Robin recalled the way the lenses of the cameras had “winked” to show that everything was working on her end after his inspections were complete. “I would think it safe to assume that the orphanage is more than secure.”

Batman’s brow rose minisculely. “You know that we call them children’s home’s now.”

“Yes...but they still house orphans, don’t they?”

“Mm.” Robin wondered at the tone of his voice, but then he continued. “Do you have something against orphans?”

The young hero couldn’t help blinking in surprise. “No.” he answered, a little defensively. He looked away to think over what he’d said before. Realizing how his father might have come to that conclusion, he quickly but calmly said, “I don’t. Perhaps Mother might have, but you know I don’t believe in her ideals anymore.”

When he stepped away to look out over the city he couldn’t help crossing his arms. Father’s voice hadn’t been accusing, just curious. Still, he had hoped that he didn’t come across that way to other people any longer. It hadn’t been easy, choosing a year ago to stay at his father’s side despite Mother’s protests. Yet after having seen Batman’s drive to protect Gotham City, and remembering the years of teaching under Grandfather, the choice had been simple. One life path, one choice, was the right one for him, and he didn’t regret his decision.

When Father’s hand came to rest on his shoulder and he was subtly pulled against the man’s side, Robin allowed himself to feel the reassurance that the touch brought him. At the beginning he might have pushed him away and vehemently denied any emotions that he felt, good or bad. Now, though he wouldn’t outwardly show much response, he was willing to accept whatever attention he was given.

Father’s response to his previous statement only aided in reassuring him more. “I do know that.”

After a few moments he was able to look up and meet his eyes. His voice was a little tentative. “I suppose I wasn’t expecting it. I haven’t seen you take security measures like this for a public event before.”

“That’s true. Usually I don’t have kids in the crossfire between me and criminals, though. Collateral damage is something I always try to avoid, but with kids I’d rather not leave anything to chance. It’s all worth it if it means I can spare them from any danger.”

“Oh.” That was an angle Robin hadn’t considered. “I see.”

It was very subtle, but Batman’s head tilted a bit to the side. “Do I detect a hint of jealousy?”

Robin felt the corner of his mouth twitch again, grateful for Father’s attempt at playfulness to break the tension. “I suppose...that depends.”

“On?”

“Whether or not you intended to adopt, tomorrow.”

An amused grunt came from the man. “I think my hands are full enough with a hyperactive child in the house. And with you, too.”

Robin looked away, but he was sure Father caught the amusem*nt on his face from him poking fun at Grayson’s expense.

Then of course Todd had to ruin it by coming onto the comm link.

“Hey, are you buttmunches outta my turf yet?”

Though Robin never pouted, or at least admitted to pouting, he felt tempted as Batman looked away with the intention of replying.

Though not before Nightwing butted in, “Be nice. They were generous enough to patrol for you while you’re still benched.”

“I wouldn’t still be benched if somebody didn’t threaten me with bodily harm unless I stayed home .”

Batman reached up to his ear. “I did no such thing...I just didn’t stop A from doing it.”

Ah yes, the threat of Pennyworth was enough to put any of them in line. Including Father.

“That’s the same damn thing and you know it, B. ”

“Is it?”

Todd let out a rather nasty expletive.

“Red Hood you shouldn’t even be listening in. You’re still recovering. A gunshot and a twisted knee are no joke.”

“I’m doing the resting, I’m doing the physical therapy, I’m doing the hokey pokey and shaking it all about because I’m losing my damn mind staying in every night! It’s been a month and a half already! My knee wasn’t even that bad, I can walk and run and everything else just fine!”

Robin rolled his eyes at the melodrama. He was more than sure that Todd was sprawled out on the sofa in his safe house gesturing dramatically at the ceiling while carrying on like this.

“I swear I’m one day away from rolling over and dying again from boredom.” Robin noted the way Father winced slightly at the blasé reminder of one of the roughest times in both the Red Hood’s life and Batman’s.

Then of course Drake felt the need to voice his opinion, as usual. “Oh would you, please?” he said sarcastically, “It would be such a big help.”

“Oh pipe down, Replacement. ” Todd answered, though, Robin noted, with much, much less heat than he used to use.

“What did I just say about being nice?” Even as Grayson asked you could hear the laughter in his voice. Who he was laughing at was up for debate.

“Alright, that’s enough.” Batman finally chimed in. His voice was calm, but it also rang with the natural finality of a parent. “The main line isn’t for chit chat. Back to patrol and back to resting.”

There was a long suffering groan from Todd but otherwise they agreed with little fuss. Soon enough the night was filled once again with the usual chorus of the city.

With one last squeeze to Robin’s shoulder, Batman headed toward the edge of the building. “We’ve got three hours left before we turn in early.”

“Then we had better put them to use.” Robin answered as he jogged over to stand at his side. The two exchanged a nod before leaping in tandem down from the rooftop toward any unexpecting criminals. The night was alive and waiting for them.

Chapter 2: Chapter 2

Chapter Text

It could be said that there were benefits to being the obedient one. It wasn’t something that Damian would tend to strive for, but in this circ*mstance he could see how it would garner him favor with Pennyworth, who he was standing beside at the front door. The older man once again lifted his arm to check his wristwatch with his usual stoic demeanor. The only hint to his thoughts was the miniscule raising of one brow.

“I do hope you don’t think it patronizing Master Damian, but I must thank you for being the one who was most punctual this morning.” he said as he took up his typical stance of having his hands clasped behind his back. Wayne Manor was quiet around them as they stood waiting, but that wasn’t uncommon.

“Not at all, Pennyworth.” he replied. Pennyworth was the undisputed master of scheduling. They all would have immense difficulty without him. So when the man sent them to change for the fundraiser after breakfast, their outfits already set out and prepared for them no less, Damian thought the least he could do was wash, dress, and wait downstairs as he was asked. Pennyworth was organized enough to give them a thirty minute window before they absolutely had to leave, and no one was ever tardy on his watch. Mostly out of respect. Damian absolutely refused to be the one to hold them up. Adhering to a rigid schedule was a habit from his days with the League. It barely required any thought now.

“I’ve got it! I’m here!” Grayson called as he rushed down the main steps from the second floor to the foyer. He quickly placed his phone into his pocket as he gave Pennyworth an apologetic smile.

“Where was it this time, Master Dick?” the man asked, his countenance the picture of patience.

“Well my phone was in my room, the charger was down in the Cave.” Grayson hopped the last several steps down to join them. “Hey, look at you, Little D. Don’t you look like a proper society gentleman today?” he grinned at Damian in a playful manner.

“We are wearing the same outfit, Grayson.” came the dry response, though it wasn’t entirely true. Both of them were sporting short sleeved collared shirts, Grayson’s a polo, designer jeans, and outdoor dress shoes, all name brand of course. But where the older of the two had bright hues, reflective of his personality, Damian instead had deeper, more muted earth tones which was the closest Pennyworth would come to allowing him to wear black to a day party. Father and Drake would no doubt have similar outfits themselves. All this was a small way to show them as a family unit, that the Wayne’s were a fashionable, matching set. The press adored inane things like that.

“No wonder you look so good, then.” Grayson said, adjusting his collar in a fashionable yet almost unkempt way.

“Did you happen to see Master Tim on your way down?” Pennyworth asked.

“You know Tim, Alfred. He was closing up all the programs on his computer meticulously one by one as I passed his room. Might need a few more minutes.”

“I see.” The butler wasn’t expressive by nature, but there was something that passed between him and Grayson in their gazes, a hint to what they’ve spoken about before. Some conversation about Drake that was had without Damian present. They never wished to discuss Drake when either he or Damian was around, and it was very irksome.

“Tt. How typical.” Damian said, his nose wrinkling with slight disdain.

“Damian,” Grayson frowned, his tone unapproving yet unsurprised, “what have we talked about? Don’t give Tim a hard time.”

It took great restraint on his part to hold back from saying what he really wanted to say. After all, Drake wasn’t so much the root of the problem as he was the cause. “You can’t expect me to refrain forever.” he said. Especially if Drake continued the way he had been for the last many months. The former Robin used to be far more spirited, and their rapport from when Damian came to live here almost a year ago was nonexistent now.

“Not forever.” Grayson conceded. “But not now, okay?” His voice left little room for argument, and his eyes betrayed his underlying concern.

“Tt. Fine.” He’d agree to it. Again. And he knew he’d agree to it the next time Grayson asked as well, as he had for months. It didn’t mean he had to like it. This never would have been allowed in Grandfather’s home.

It was a few minutes more they stood together. Grayson and Pennyworth discussed how he would have the car parked on a neighboring street after they were dropped off at the front entrance of St. Aden’s for the barrage of photos the reporters will undoubtedly take. When the event was wrapped up and the guests all sent safely on their way, Pennyworth would again come to pick them up and bring them home in time to have the dinner he’d already prepped the night before ready to serve within the hour.

‘And,’ thought Damian to himself, ‘barring no other needless distractions, we’ll conclude dinner and be out on patrol soon enough.’ Damian was looking forward to the day’s activities being over as soon as possible.

Father came down into the foyer from the main stairs as he was finishing the thought. Damian watched as the man took a quick mental headcount and began to turn back to the stairs to call for Drake. But the teenager appeared just as Bruce was opening his mouth.

“I’m here.” came the quiet reply as he reached the bottom of the stairs, head down as he scrolled through his phone even while approaching the front door.

It seemed as though Father was going to say something to Drake, but when he caught Pennyworth subtly yet visibly beginning to check his wristwatch yet again he instead ushered them out the front door and into the waiting car. With the Manor locked and secured they were soon beginning their forty-five minute long drive to St. Aden’s.

Pennyworth was behind the wheel, of course, and the rest of them were sat in the back on the L-shaped seat. Father was closest to the door, where he preferred to be, so he could be first to smile and greet the cameras and deflect what attention he could from the others. Sat next to him was Damian, who despite not really wanting to go to the event still wanted to follow right after Father and be the first of the Wayne youths to be seen with the man. On the other section of the seat closest to him was Drake, eyes still on his phone, and finally Grayson who was near the window separating them from Pennyworth. The reason for this? So that Grayson could fiddle with the controls for the radio that were under the window.

Damian was prepared to ignore whatever station Grayson would put on and perhaps meditate on the drive. However that was before one came on that was playing a song which was all too familiar.

“Aw, look Damian,” came the cheerful oaf’s voice, making his eyebrow twitch, “they’re playing your favorite song!” The music had been quiet, but with a few pushes the soft ballad filled the car. Drake paused to look at the speakers, one brow raised, but in the same motion rolled his eyes and went back to whatever was on his phone. From the corner of his eye Damian saw Father raise a hand to rub his chin, a tell that the man was holding back a smile. And there was Grayson, sitting there obnoxiously mouthing along to the lyrics.

“You’re every breath that I take, you’re every step I make...”

It shouldn’t have been a surprise that Grayson, the hopeless romantic, would remember Damian Wayne liking a love duet. It hadn’t been a purposeful choice. When Damian had been living with Father for a few months it had become a regular occurrence for him to ride into the city with him during the rare times when Father needed to make an appearance at Wayne Tower for a business meeting. That day Grayson happened to come with them, though Damian still couldn’t remember why. But while he was sitting in his seat Damian had taken to meditating in silence to pass the car ride. As he had learned Grayson was known to do by then, the man had been changing stations on the radio. The music had passed by unnoticed, but when Grayson had stopped on one station to let that song play, the rhythm had lulled him and the lyrics soothed him in a way he hadn’t expected. At that moment he hadn’t minded that he really, truly, enjoyed that song.

And then Grayson changed the station before the song was finished .

“Put. It. Back. ”

By that point his meditation was ruined and his mood was soured. It didn’t even occur to him how his outburst might have made him look...until he saw Father and Grayson’s expressions. The younger man had looked surprised but delighted, and Father’s stoicism had dropped just that little bit to show he was surprised as well. From that moment on he had denied his enjoyment of the song on principle, not that it would stop Grayson from bringing it up whenever it happened to play within their earshot.

Damian made the choice not to even give a response, verbal or otherwise. He turned to face the tinted window as they began to cross the Kane Memorial Bridge into the part of Gotham City called Crest Hill. From there they would pass through Gotham Village and eventually reach the Narrows.

The view passed without him taking it in, at some point instead he began to regard his reflection. Father had said once or twice that he looked like Mother, yet Mother had pointed out many times in his younger years how much he resembled Father. The person Damian could see looking back at him had the same black hair as Father, with a more youthful styling of his father’s slicked back cut. His complexion was just that much more noticeably darker than Father, but not as much as Mother’s light brown tone. Irritably he still had what the others had called baby fat, so his true features would still need time before Damian could be sure who he most resembled. Then there were his eyes. Black as the abyss, his true color a mystery to them all until the day Damian should happen to meet his other half. His soulmate. He briefly wondered, would that person turn his eyes a pale glacier blue like Father’s, or a cool jade green like Mother’s? Then he abandoned the thought entirely, barely holding back from rolling said eyes.

Soulmates. What ludicracy. Damian Wayne had other, more important things to think about.

-----

Colin was squatting in the middle of the bathroom on the first floor of St. Aden’s. He was thin enough that he could wrap his arms around his legs and hug them close. The door was cracked, letting a little sunlight into the dark room. Colin focused on breathing in slow through his mouth and then out slow through his nose. In, out, repeat. Maybe it was helping, but it didn’t make Colin feel all the way better. Because in a few minutes he’d have to go back out there. Where all those people were. Strangers. He wished he could be upstairs with Rory.

He had to pick between staying in that bathroom, which was feeling smaller the longer he was in there, or going back out to the party again. Both were bad, as far as Colin was concerned. It didn’t help that he was mad at himself for feeling like this.

The morning started just fine. When Colin got up he helped the Sisters wake the other kids and made sure everyone had breakfast. Then they went upstairs, brushed their teeth, and went to get dressed. That’s when things started to get a little...busy.

Shannon kept watching the windows and had to be told more than once to get ready. Tyler lost his nice shoes and they were both in different places. Mason didn’t want to wear those pants, Janie wanted her hair to match her doll’s, Luke kept unbuttoning his shirt, Kasey was crying because Rosita took her pink hair tie and wouldn’t give it back, Ethan was standing around half dressed because he was distracted by everyone else.

While all this was happening Colin was moving around the room with the sisters and helping to fix what he could. So far everything was business as usual; messy, disorganized, and a little crazy. But that’s little kids for you, Colin was more than used to it by now.

In all the rushing to help he almost forgot to get ready himself. It was only when Sister Agnes caught him by the wrist during a short lived moment of calm and pushed him out of the kids’ room and toward his own that he remembered.

He got out his clothes from the top drawer of his small dresser and got them on with little trouble. They were technically his church clothes, but since the Sisters didn’t make the kids practice any religious stuff if they didn’t want to, they were put aside and used for anytime they had to dress fancy. Colin had tucked the white collared shirt that was a little tight on him into the khaki slacks that were a little big on him. Sister Rachel had found a belt somewhere yesterday that was for someone smaller than him, but when they checked it still fit him well because he was so thin. The belt had to be on the widest setting but he’d take what he could get. His shoes were black and white converse sneakers that someone had donated last year. They had a few frays and it felt like the part at the toes was coming loose on the left one, but at least they were clean. He combed his hair, mostly into his eyes because his bangs are so long, and that was as put together as he was going to get.

Unfortunately when he reached up with his left arm to turn off the light the seam at his armpit ripped. He had half a second to think about whether to tell someone or not before Sister Agnes came up to his door, having heard the rip in the hall. She didn’t let him take off the shirt, just had him pull it off one shoulder so she could sew it quickly with her fix-it kit. It was hard to stand still when he could hear Sister Carrie and Sister Rachel trying to get the others settled, since he knew if he helped it might get done faster. But Sister Agnes is a firm lady and what she says goes, so there he stood, like it or not.

When she had finished and got him all dressed again, that was when someone had knocked on the front door. Colin followed after Sister Agnes, stopping halfway down the stairs to keep out of the way. It was the caterers that Mr. Wayne had hired for the party. They introduced themselves to her, and were very polite and nice, but when one of them noticed Colin and waved at him it shot a set of nerves right up his spine. His shoulders hunched up, though he managed to bring up a hand to wave back and smile. Or at least tried to smile. It might have been more of a grimace.

Sister Agnes joined the caterers outside on the wide grass lawn between the front gate and the front door, while Colin was asked to stay inside. He stood at the window left of the door, one of two, to watch. He could see one, no two, catering vans parked out front. They got to work setting up pretty quickly, Colin noticing the Sisters and the other kids joining him after a while. The caterers set up a few tent looking things to put tables under. Sister Rachel said that they’re called gazebos. There was all different kinds of foods, like fruits and bakery stuff, and there was a big outdoor grill, too. Round tables for sitting with folding chairs were spread out across the lawn, and a big music player was plugged into a portable battery and started to play. They were confused for a few minutes when a big folding flat thing was set up on one side until Sister Carrie guessed that it must have been a stage for the speech Mr. Wayne was going to give during the party.

After a while the catering vans were moved out of the way and security vans took their place. Colin knew they were coming to keep everyone at the party safe, or well...to keep the rich people safe, it just made him nervous how much their uniforms looked like police uniforms. The Sisters took that moment to remind everyone the Safety Rules for when there were a lot of strangers around while Colin watched like a hawk as they set up barricades at the front and back gates. They made good time too because it seemed like two seconds before there were reporters everywhere and the fundraiser guests were starting to pull up in their fancy cars.

Quickly Sister Agnes came to the front door and stepped halfway inside. “It’s time, dears. The party is about to start.”

The kids looked between each other, chattering excitedly. Colin gave them all an encouraging smile.

“Let’s all remember our good manners, now. Best behavior, everyone.” And with that the three Sisters led them all outside and down the stoop onto the lawn.

The camera flashes were almost blinding, and the voices of the reporters rose in volume. There were coos about how cute they all were and calls for the kids to look this way, or look that way. A few of the more outgoing kids waved at the crowd while the shier ones stuck close to the Sisters.

Colin felt Sister Agnes’ hand on his shoulder. “Here we go.” she muttered. He wasn’t sure if he was supposed to hear that or not.

One by one the cars that had lined up began to let people out and through the front gate. There were beautiful women and handsome men, all dressed in lovely day clothes. Colin knew they were Gotham’s elite, the rich, well off people that probably had big fancy apartments in the Diamond District or Gotham Proper. He tried not to think about that too much. Any of these people could be looking to adopt, and they were the kinds of moms and dads orphan kids like them would secretly dream of. This was a good opportunity. For the other kids.

Soon there were excited whispers among the guests, and they were pointing at a black car with tinted windows three cars down the line. Colin heard things like, “He’s here!” and, “There they are!”, and it seemed like the already fast flashes of the cameras got even faster and more frantic. That could only mean one thing.

The Waynes were almost at St. Aden’s.

Colin took a deep breath in and let it out slow. This was it, the man who wanted to donate even more money to kids in need was about to be in front of them. Colin was about to meet him in person . Honestly, he felt a little scared.

“Collie?”

Tugging on his shirt sleeve, Tyler was looking up at him with a desperate look.

“What’s the matter, Ty?” he asked, bending down to be more at his eye level.

“I gotta go . Real bad.”

Oh. Oh.

Sister Carrie happened to overhear this, just as the Waynes’ car became second in line. “Tyler, honey, why didn’t you go before?”

“I didn’t have to then.”

Colin smiled up at her. “Don’t worry, I can take him inside. We’ll be back real fast.” As he talked he took Tyler’s hand and led him back up the front steps. He wouldn’t admit it, but he was glad for the chance to get away from...all of this. Even if it was for a few minutes.

Sister Carrie called after them, “Remember to wash your hands!”

He did, Colin made sure. Then he watched as Tyler happily bounced down the front steps when they got back. The crowd of people had spread out across the lawn to mingle and get something to eat, and Colin had felt better for a few moments. The Waynes were somewhere, not looking at him or talking to him. Good.

Colin had a system for parties, in order to get through them. The other kids knew how to behave; play nicely, use good manners when a grown up talks to you, and try not to get too dirty. Colin followed these rules, but he realized some tricks over the years. If he looked down and didn’t make eye contact, if he kept moving and didn’t linger anywhere for too long, if he could keep doing that for as long as possible, then the party would be over eventually and they’d stop trying to talk to him or get to know him way before that. It was either that or sneak back inside without being noticed, grab a book from the library, and hide in his room until everyone left. The last time Colin had done that Sister Agnes had found him an hour in. She hadn’t been angry, but he could see the disappointment in her eyes. He promised to try to stay at the next party or event for as long as he could take it.

So with that plan set up, Colin had begun to make loops across the lawn. Not any obvious ones, he just went around to the same places again and again, trying to act calm even as the voices of so many people around him made him feel more and more nervous. Every now and then he’d have to brush past a group of people or repeat back a shy “Hi.” to someone who’d glance at him and say hello just to be polite. But for the most part he was getting through the party just fine. And as a bonus he was able to check on the other kids as he went.

He found Shannon and Mikey hiding together behind the oak tree. They were only holding hands and talking, but Colin told them to go out to the party together and he told Mikey that he had better not go anywhere without telling one of the Sisters or else. They knew Colin wasn’t playing so they walked away with their heads down even as they kept their pinkies hooked together.

When Colin was walking by the fence and making his way back around again he saw a lot of grown ups close together talking about something. They were near the stage, and when Colin peered between their elbows he saw a box up on a podium with a security guard right next to it. When he heard a few ladies say “Brucie” over and over he realized that the man he could hear talking must be Bruce Wayne himself, but he couldn’t see him. Colin figured Mr. Wayne was probably explaining how the silent donation worked, where anyone who wanted to donate just needed to put either a check or money into the thin opening on the top. It would’ve been very easy to squeeze between them all and get to Mr. Wayne, just to thank him in person for doing all of this, but Colin had hardly worked up the nerve to possibly try before chickening out, turning around and walking back the other way.

‘Darn it.’ Colin thought, ‘That was such a good time to tell him, and it would’ve made Mr. Wayne look really good if an orphan thanked him in front of all those people. Maybe we could’ve got more money…’’

He was so caught up in being hard on himself that Colin didn’t notice until it happened that he’d walked into someone.

“Oh! Hey watch out, little man.” said a friendly voice, “Could’ve knocked me down there!”

As Colin stepped back to stutter out an apology he looked up to see Dick Grayson himself standing there with Ethan clinging on to his back for a piggyback ride and a big smile on his face. Mr. Grayson was one of Bruce Wayne’s adopted kids, which was a little weird for Colin to think about because the man standing in front of him was probably twenty something years old. He had black, slightly wavy hair that was parted on the side, laughing eyes, and was smiling at Colin like they were already friends.

“Hi Colin!” a few voices said together. That was when Colin noticed that most of the other kids were standing around them, looking like they were waiting their turn to be picked up, too.

For a second Colin got caught up in remembering that he was the oldest kid there and wanting to be responsible. He put his hands on his hips without thinking about it. “You guys aren’t bothering Mr. Grayson are you?”

“Noooooo.” they said, a few of them pouting.

“ Mr. Grayson?! Gee, way to make a guy feel old.” Dick Grayson laughed as he squatted down so Ethan could climb off his back.

Colin felt himself blush as he remembered where he was and who he was talking to.

“I uh…” he took a step back, fighting the need to run away.

“Hey, relax bud. It’s a party!” The next thing Colin knew he was being scooped up under the armpits and lifted straight up in the air. Wow, he was strong! “We’re all having fun here!”

“Yeah!” the kids cried out, jumping up and down.

“O-Oh...okay.” Colin said in surprise, looking down at them all from his new height.

With a good natured grin Dick Grayson set him down on the ground again and ruffled his hair with one hand. Colin didn’t have time to say anything because the kids were all pressing around the friendly guy and calling out, “Me next, me next!”

Colin took a few steps back. ‘I guess everything’s okay here,’ he thought. ‘I’ll just let them play.’ For half a second the idea that maybe Colin was just getting in everyone’s way started to creep into his mind, but he pushed it way down deep. He needed to stop thinking so much.

When Colin looked up from staring at the ground he saw that he was surrounded by grown ups. He breathed in sharply, looking around at them all and barely holding in a sudden rush of panic. Why were they...oh. They weren’t even looking at him. They were all here because they wanted to watch Dick Grayson play with the orphan kids. It only took a few seconds of listening to hear them throwing compliments at the young man as he picked up and tossed in the air one kid after another.

His breathing faster than he wanted it to be, Colin was looking back at the wall of grown ups blocking him from getting away. And he wanted to get away, he wanted it really bad right now.

“Psst!”

Somebody had tapped him lightly on the shoulder, and he only jumped a little when they did. He looked at the hand still hovering by him and followed it up its owner’s arm until he was staring up at Tim Drake.

Colin blinked, caught off guard all of a sudden. He recognized the teen from the pictures he had seen online. There were pictures of all the Waynes together, in fact one of the ones he’d seen was a selfie of Dick and Tim. And now the older boy who had short black hair, with long bangs parted in the middle, was the next person Colin had met after Dick. He was starting to think he wasn’t going to avoid meeting the Waynes after all.

Tim wasn’t even looking at him. Like everyone else around he was watching his adopted brother and the kids playing, and he was holding a cup with some kind of orange drink in the other hand, looking happy and relaxed with a small smile on his face. Colin almost forgot that he’d been tapped on the shoulder until he saw Tim’s hand, now resting down by his hip, waving at the air like he was trying to shoo a bug away.

“Huh?” he said softly, wondering if Tim was okay.

That was when he looked at Tim’s face and saw he was glancing at Colin from the corner of his eye. When he gestured with his head to a spot over his shoulder Colin saw that the crowd had moved a bit and there was an opening for him to get through.

Colin opened his mouth to thank Tim but the teen had stepped forward and brought his hand up to his mouth to call out, “Hey Dick! Do you feel old yet?”

“Ha! You wish, Timmy!”

Taking the hint Colin ducked between two guys and away from the crowd before the panic he had started to feel came back. Without really thinking about it he had run up the front steps of St. Aden’s and inside to the bathroom on the first floor.

That was how he ended up there. Squatting in the middle of the bathroom floor, feeling bad about himself. It’s not like there was anything wrong. The party seemed to be going really good. The guests were happy, the kids were happy, and the Waynes were being wonderful hosts and even better fundraisers. The only one who wasn’t happy, the only one who was wrong...was Colin.

Colin let out a frustrated groan. He couldn’t stay in here anymore, and he didn’t want to anyways. He stood up and saw his face in the mirror. He didn’t look too upset, which was good. When he showed how upset he was the Sisters worried, and he hated worrying them.

There was one thing he could do to help himself. It was dumb, and a little wasteful, but it helped. With a small sigh he slid open the little glass covered door under the bathroom mirror and pulled out the box of bandaids. Sister Rachel said there wasn’t anything he should be ashamed of. Everyone gets anxious sometimes. And it’s okay to remove yourself from a situation if it was making you feel that way. It was better to do that than let it upset you. But the Sisters were counting on him. This was the fix he’d found all on his own, and he was going to use it.

He took out one of the colorful bandaids, pulled up his pant leg and then stuck it on under his left knee. Then he threw the little paper pieces away and fixed his pants. There. Now no one could tell he’d done this except for him. He put everything back where it belonged and stepped out of the bathroom and into the front hall. The door was right there, he just had to go back outside. But the stairs that lead up to his room were right next to it, and if he went up them he’d be able to just hide away from everything. Again.

He sighed. Then he walked toward the door. What he was going to do was talk to Sister Agnes, let her know what was going on. Though he didn’t realize it, Colin was mature enough to know something most kids his age didn’t; sometimes it’s okay to just go to a grown up and let them tell you the right thing to do.

When he stepped out into the bright sunlight Colin let his hand linger on the doorknob as he looked around. The party was still going; music playing, people talking, kids laughing. He wondered if anyone had noticed he was gone. He wondered how long he was gone for .

That was when he saw her. Sister Agnes was standing near the stage, the crowd from before now gone. She was talking to a man who’s back was turned to him. He watched them for a minute before stepping down onto the lawn and walking over to them slowly. He didn’t want to interrupt her. Even if he needed her he wasn’t going to be rude.

Sister Agnes noticed him when he got close enough. She smiled at him warmly. Her smiles always made him feel better, and he couldn’t help smiling back.

“There you are.” she beckoned him closer with her hand. “Would you like to come stand by me for a while?”

How did she know? Colin sometimes wondered if she could read minds. He just nodded instead of asking.

“Yes, please.” He walked up to her, feeling her hand rest on his back and letting the feeling of safety fall over him.

“I’d like to introduce you to someone.” She gently turned him to face the man she’d been talking to. “Colin, this is Mr. Wayne.”

Bruce Wayne. The richest man in Gotham. Colin had seen a lot of pictures of him online, but now he was standing right there in front of him. He was much taller in person, probably more than six feet, and he had a lot of muscles, which must not show much in the fancy suits he usually wore. When Colin looked him in the eye he saw the handsome face that so many articles were written about. His dark hair was combed back from his forehead, not hiding the kind expression he had on his face as he looked back at Colin.

He didn’t know why, but Colin felt nothing but good feelings coming from this man.

“Hello, Mr. Wayne. It’s nice to meet you.” his voice came out shy, but he politely held out his hand. When the man took his small hand in his much larger one and shook it, Colin noticed that Mr. Wayne’s hand somehow felt the same as Sister Agnes’. Maybe it was because they both spent a lot of time with kids?

“It’s nice to meet you too, Colin. Sister Agnes was just telling me what a big help you are to St. Aden’s.”

Colin looked up at her in surprise, but she only smiled proudly at him.

“I like to do it.” he said, letting himself feel a bit of pride at being praised to such an important person, “I like helping others.”

Mr. Wayne smiled. It might not have been as wide of a smile as Dick’s, but it was an honest smile, one that made his eyes crinkle at the corners. “That’s an admirable quality. I hope you hold onto it, even when you get older.”

“Yes, Sir. Me too.” Colin had never been called “admirable” before. He liked it.

“How old are you, Colin?”

“I’m ten.”

“You’re the same age as my Damian. Have you met?”

“No, not yet. I, uh, met Dick and Tim though.”

“Let me introduce you.” Mr. Wayne looked around. From his height he could probably see over everyone else’s heads. When he spotted who he was looking for he raised a hand and waved him over.

First Dick Grayson, then Tim Drake, then Bruce Wayne, and now Damian Wayne. That was all of them. Hopefully that was the last surprise for today.

Colin smiled up at Sister Agnes when she rubbed his shoulder encouragingly, but he ended up staring down at his hands clasped in front of him when he heard Mr. Wayne say, “Here he is.”

From behind his bangs Colin could see someone his size walk up to stand beside Mr. Wayne. He was wearing a fancy pair of black leather shoes that looked clean and new.

“Yes, Father?” Damian asked politely.

Colin gulped nervously and looked up at the other boy. Damian Wayne had short, black hair and tan skin. He was looking up at his dad and not at Colin. He seemed bored, but maybe Colin was just overthinking again.

“I’d like you to meet Colin Wilkes.” Colin blinked in surprise. He didn’t know that Mr. Wayne knew his full name. “He lives here at St. Aden’s. The two of you are the same age.”

Did Damian’s nose just wrinkle a little? Colin couldn’t be sure because it went away too quickly if it did. The other boy blinked one time before finally looking fully at Colin.

That’s when it happened.

-----

It takes less than a second of total eye contact between two people to change someone’s eye color forever. In one instant two boys were looking at each other for the very time. In the next, their eyes lost the black shroud that covered the true color underneath since the day they were born. It’s too fast for anyone to see the change happen. But the sharp sting they felt because of it was a different story.

Damian flinched, bringing the back of his fist up to press against the bridge of his nose and letting out a hiss of pain between his teeth. Colin cried out in pain, his palms pressing over his eyes as he let out a soft whine.

“Ow…” Colin whimpered.

Neither boy heard Sister Agnes let out a loud gasp of surprise. They didn’t know that Bruce stood frozen, his own eyes wide in shock. They had no idea that Dick and Tim had been walking over to join them when this happened, only to stop and stare with their mouths open. Tim’s drink fell out of his hand and onto the grass. Soon, one by one, everyone at the party had stopped what they were doing to turn and see the two boys still caught in the moment just after their eyes had met.

Damian realized what happened first. He had stood still after a moment of flinching and then pulled his hand slowly away from his face and blinked his eyes to clear away the last bit of stinging that remained. When he could see he just...stared at the boy standing before him, watching as Colin slowly lowered his hands after rubbing his eyes.

When Colin looked up their eyes met for the second time, only now they were different colors.

Colin’s were a deep forest green. Damian’s were a light sky blue.

They were soulmates.

Not sure who took the first step, they both had moved a little closer to each other until there was only a small distance between them. For once Damian seemed unsure what to do, like there was something he wanted to say but wasn’t sure how.

Colin opened his mouth. Closed it. Then opened it again. “I-I...I like your eyes.” he said softly, shyly.

Those simple words touched a part of Damian’s soul and seemed to give him his voice back. “And I, yours.” he replied honestly.

Colin’s smile was timid, but sweet. It made Damian smile in return, in his subtle way.

‘This is my soulmate.’ they thought at the same time.

Damian seemed to get a determined look in his eye. Colin felt Damian take both of his hands in his own and squeeze them softly. He nodded once, as if he decided something, then he managed to turn away from Colin and look back over his shoulder at his dad.

“Father...he is coming home with us.”

Colin gasped softly in surprise.

That sentence was all it took to break the spell that the other party goers were under. Before either boy knew what was happening there was a sudden rush of voices and camera clicks and they were surrounded on all sides.

Chapter 3

Chapter Text

Colin was feeling so much all at once. He couldn’t look away from Damian, even as his brain realized that there was suddenly a lot of people pressing all around them. He thought he heard someone say that the reporters had broken past the barriers at the front gate, but he lost the thought as soon as it came because he was staring into Damian’s eyes.

The other boy had such a quiet but intense look as he stared right back at him. If Colin didn’t know better, he would’ve thought that Damian was trying to see inside his head. If Damian had maybe had a bored look before he didn’t know. It looked like Colin was all he was thinking about. For once Colin didn’t mind being the center of attention.

He saw a pair of hands place themselves on Damian’s shoulders at the same time that he felt Sister Agnes do the same to him.

“Bruce,” the voice that spoke sounded like Tim, “if we don’t get this crowd under control soon--”

“I know! I’ll have to make some kind of announcement to calm them down!” Mr. Wayne’s voice came from whoever was holding Damian’s shoulders. It must have been loud for him to have to raise his voice like that, but everything sounded muffled to Colin.

Damian’s eyes flicked away from Colin for less than a second. It looked like he was seeing how bad the crowd was because his hands holding Colin’s seemed to squeeze a little tighter after he turned back to him again.

“Don’t be scared.” Damian said, so softly Colin wondered how he’d heard him.

But he wasn’t scared, for once. “I’m not.” he replied, smiling softly.

Then Damian did it again. His brow relaxed, his whole face did, and his mouth which Colin guessed was always frowning a little bit changed until it was flat instead. One corner even went up a little. Most people wouldn’t have noticed it, but Colin did. He’d always noticed things before, but that was because his counselor said he was hypervigilant. This felt different.

While they were talking the grown ups had been talking, too.

“Mr. Wayne,” Sister Agnes said, her no nonsense voice coming through, “the boys can hide inside. The back door is locked, they can’t get in.”

“Right. Dick--”

“I got them, you get the crowd!”

The next thing Colin knew both he and Damian were being lifted, one of Dick’s strong arms around each of their middles, and pressed against his chest as he pushed through the crowd toward the front doors of St. Aden’s with the help of some of the hired security. That seemed to break the trace they’d been in, because Colin squeaked in surprise when he noticed his feet were off the ground. At the same time he heard Damian cry out, “Grayson?!”

“Just hang on guys, I’m getting you out of the spotlight until everyone calms down!”

“Sp-Spotlight?” Colin asked, not really believing what he was hearing until he looked over Dick’s shoulder and saw all those people. The only reason they weren’t followed up the front steps was because Mr. Wayne, the Sisters, and the security people were keeping them back.

He ducked behind Dick’s shoulder so he could hide.

‘Oh boy...’ Colin thought while Dick somehow opened the front door without putting them down.

When he shut the door with his foot it suddenly got a lot quieter.

“That’s better.” Dick sighed, looking relieved as he knelt down and placed both boys back on their feet again. Colin watched as the man put a hand on Damian’s shoulder and looked him in the eye, his face serious. “Bruce is going to keep their attention off you guys. You two should stay in here until the party’s over.”

“Tt.” Damian hissed out a little breath, rolling his eyes a little. “Yes, clearly. I have no intention of humoring those sharks.” That Colin could agree with. Even if he wouldn’t have said it like that.

“Well you two were kind of...Moon Eyed…for a little bit there.” Dick smirked.

Colin noticed Damian blushing very lightly before he looked away and shuffled his feet to hide his own embarrassment. Moon Eyed was what people called the first however many minutes after soulmates meet. He heard that most people wouldn’t want to look away from their person after their eyes changed, it was some kind of brain thing that helped with bonding. Or at least that’s what he heard. The world record was supposed to be five hours or something, so maybe they should be glad it didn’t last so long for them.

Dick gave them a fond smile. Then he blinked and seemed to take a closer look at Damian.

“What?” Damian asked, eyes narrowing. It sounded like he expected Dick to say something dumb.

His only answer was to smile even brighter. “Nothing! Nothing. It’s just…”

Dick turned to look at Colin, the smile never leaving. Without meaning to the redhead tensed a little. His right hand, the one Damian didn’t let go of even when they’d been picked up, held on a little tighter to the other boy’s hand. Colin’s belly fluttered a little when Damian squeezed his hand back.

Dick’s free hand came to rest on Colin’s shoulder. “Colin, right?” he asked.

Colin nodded.

Next thing he knew Dick had pulled both boys into a firm but gentle hug.

“I’m just so happy for both of you!” When Dick pulled back his eyes almost looked like he might cry.

“Honestly Grayson, must you be so maudlin?” Even as he said it, Colin could tell Damian wasn’t really annoyed. This was probably how they usually talked to each other.

“I know, I know. I’m a big sap. I can’t help it.” Standing up, Dick moved a hand to ruffle Damian’s hair. When he got batted away by his younger brother he turned and gave Colin a soft pat on the cheek. “I’m looking forward to getting to know you later on, Colin. Unfortunately right now I need to go out and help the others.” His eyes became a little teasing. “Can I ask you to look after Damian while I’m gone?”

Colin was sure the tips of his ears were turning red. “I-I...I…” he turned to Damian, not sure what to say.

His blue eyes narrowed again as he shooed Dick away. “If all you’re going to do is stand there and bother my soulmate then you can just go. There’s the door.”

Dick laughed. “Okay, okay. Take it easy.” He turned and faced the door, his hand resting on the handle. “Now don’t you two do anything I wouldn’t do while you’re alone.”

Colin was sure he was teasing again, especially because Dick winked over his shoulder before stepping outside. Then the doors were closed and everything became quiet as the two soulmates stood together on their own, still holding one another’s hands.

-----

His soulmate has freckles. Damian never would have imagined it. Not that one is supposed to expect their soulmate to look a certain way. He’d never really had a concrete idea when he would let his mind wander during his lonelier moments. There was no way to know how old he would be when they met, or where it would happen. But he could guess at how they would look. Every skin tone, every height, every gender, every hair color, every face shape...he’d learned to appreciate them all. It was part of what got him interested in sketching, specifically sketching people.

Yet somehow he never thought to imagine his other half having freckles. It made him feel foolish, especially as he now watched Colin look shyly up at him and saw how the soft dots of pigment covered the bridge of his nose and the apples of his cheeks. They suited him. Of course he has freckles. They were even on the back of the hand that Damian still held, the one he didn’t intend to let go of any time soon.

After a moment of Colin looking him over with the same amount of curiosity, those enchanting green eyes turned to the curtained windows. Damian naturally followed when Colin walked over and pulled a curtain aside the tiniest bit so he could look out. He had to stand on his toes to see over Colin’s head, and all that earned them both was more camera flashes before Colin let the curtain fall back to where it had been.

“Wow.” said Colin, though not with any sort of surprise. Honestly it sounded more like resignation.

“Mm, as I said, sharks.”

When Colin chuckled Damian was sure he’d held his breath. If only to hear the sound more clearly.

“Yeah. You’re right.” Colin smiled at him. “We got...distracted before? I mean...I’m Colin. Hi.” He laughed a little again, most likely because he felt awkward. It was rather charming.

“Hello Colin.” Damian allowed himself to enjoy how it felt to say his soulmate’s name. To memorize the feeling of it on his tongue. “I’m Damian.”

Colin’s smile reached his eyes. “It’s wonderful to meet you, Damian.”

‘It truly is.’ he thought as he returned the smile.

For another minute it was quiet as Colin looked away, seemingly to think of what to say next, and Damian stood waiting to hear what he had to say. It was odd, but for once Damian didn’t feel the need to take charge or make his own wants first and foremost. This was new and unexplored territory, and if Mother taught him anything then he knew he needed to let what would happen happen so he could learn and adapt to the situation. For now, letting Colin set the pace might be best. Though from the look of uncertainty in those dark green eyes his soulmate might not often be given the chance to take charge. Damian let his thumb brush across Colin’s knuckles, making the other boy look up at him again and earning him another shy smile. Damian couldn’t help noticing how thin Colin’s hand felt, how his cheeks weren’t as plump and rounded as the other children’s had been. Wasn’t there enough to eat at the orphanage? Did Colin make sure the other children ate before helping himself? His own muscled hand could easily break Colin’s fingers if he tried. For once his own strength and skill made Damian uncomfortable. He hated to think of himself as a child, because clearly he simply wasn’t like other ten year olds. He wasn’t normal. But Colin very much is a normal ten year old child, and suddenly that seemed too young, too vulnerable, even if Damian was also ten. What dangers would being Damian’s soulmate cause this kind, gentle boy?

‘It doesn’t matter.’ Damian told himself, ‘Not only will St. Aden’s be in a better financial state after today, but Colin also will be coming home with us. I will ensure his safety now, it’s my responsibility.’

“I could..show you around.” Colin began hesitantly, but there was a hint of hopefulness in his voice. “I know where everything is, since I’ve been here so long. It’ll make time go faster.”

‘But I don’t want it to go faster.’ Damian thought hurriedly, though he kept the words to himself.

Looking around at what he could see, Damian noticed that the walls, floors, and furniture looked clean and well maintained. There were even pictures, drawings really, hung on a bulletin board near the door to the left of the entrance. It told him that the Sisters did all they could to keep up to standards. The money they needed so desperately, according to Father, must be to upkeep the building and its utilities, such as the washing machines and the like. The structure was also older, based on the architecture, and probably needed all the help it could get to keep it from being condemned; a new roof, better insulation, a replacement furnace. If Damian had to guess, that is.

All these observations Damian made in less than half a minute. Colin still had that look, one that said he wanted to show off the place where he lived. He was clearly fond of St. Aden’s.

“Very well, Colin. I’ll let you guide me. Show me where you’ve lived.”

Colin nodded, turning to look back at the staircase. “We can start down here, I’ll show you upstairs after.”

Damian gave a simple nod in agreement. Still holding hands he followed Colin as they turned to look at what the ginger boy pointed to.

“That’s Sister Agnes’ office.” he pointed to the door with the bulletin board next to it. “She’s in charge of everything. She meets potential parents there and the kids only go in if they’re in trouble and the Sisters have to talk to them about it in private. Otherwise they’re not allowed in.”

‘Hm...only the other kids?’ So that would mean Colin is well behaved, since he didn’t mention himself.

“The bathroom is next to it. And here,” they walked a bit until they stood in front of an open entryway leading to the left, “is the playroom.”

This room had a few large windows, which had their curtains closed at the moment. There were some soft child size chairs, three regular sitting chairs, and one of those older model box television sets. It was large for its size, with a built-in stand, though clearly a few decades older than any of the kids who lived here. There even seemed to be a VCR player hooked up to it, something Damian tried not to gawk at. It must be the last one that existed in Gotham. There was a small shelf full of VHS tapes, all children’s movies, sitting next to it. Yes, they certainly were due for an upgrade. The remainder of the room contained toys of all sorts, which he noted were all neatly put away where they belonged. In one corner there was a low table that seemed to be covered in art supplies. Damian approved of that at least.

“I’d let you go in, but we just got everything put away last night. The kids haven’t been back in here yet, and it’ll get messy again in no time when they do.” Colin said with fondness.

Damian let out an amused huff of air. Deep down he envied younger children for their freedom to be carefree and disordered. He would have been whipped raw if he had left one thing out of place in Grandfather’s home.

“This way leads to the kitchen, but you can see that.” They turned to face the second entryway that continued straight ahead. “From there you can reach the Sister’s room, the laundry room, and...the…”

Turning away from taking in the pristine if sparse kitchen, Damian looked at Colin as the other trailed off. He looked caught off guard, unsure what to do. Following his gaze he saw what had taken his soulmate’s attention and frowned.

“The back door.” he finished for Colin.

There was indeed a back door, one that had a set of small square windows in it. Through them they could just make out what looked like a pair of eyes from an eager reporter. The camera that started to flash when they caught sight of the two of them confirmed Damian’s suspicion.

“Tt.” Hardly giving it a second thought he turned, taking Colin with him, until they were standing back at the foot of the stairs. “Damn sharks.”

There was a gasp just behind him. He turned to see that Colin brought his free hand up to cover his mouth, his eyes wide. “If the Sisters heard you say that…”

He looked away from him. That was a foolish oversight. After all this place was named after Saint Aden. “I apologize, Colin.” Damian could feel his brow furrowing. “It’s bad enough that they pester Father and the others as often as they can, now they are trying to do the same to you as well.”

He only met the other boy’s eyes after he felt both of Colin’s hands hold his.

“It’s okay.” he replied, the expression on his face understanding and open and somehow, somehow, Damian believed him. “Hey, the way you talk…”

Damian raised an eyebrow, not sure he knew where this was going or if he would like it. “Yes?”

“I like how you talk. You sound so grown up.” Colin paused, thinking. Then he smiled. “It’s sophisticated. You’re very sophisticated, Damian Wayne.”

Whether it was the compliment itself or the fact that it was said so genuinely that made Damian feel as if he might be blushing he didn’t know. Either way he tried to press it down. “Yes well I…” he cleared his throat, “thank you.”

Colin giggled. “Anytime. C’mon, I’ll show you upstairs.” He followed Colin up, a step behind him, their hands still clasped.

“So like the sign says, this is the library.” When they reached the next floor Colin pointed to the door directly in front of them. There was a poster board that had clearly been decorated by many small hands over the years with colorful flowers and animals and all other sorts of things. The board was just about at their eye level.

“You have a library?” Damian asked in surprise. He wasn’t expecting there to be a feature like that in a place like this. As someone who enjoys reading he couldn’t help but be impressed.

“Lemme show you!” Colin said eagerly. He let go of Damian’s hand, which was certainly a shame, in order to take the doorknob in both of his hands and pull it open. “Isn’t it great?”

Damian blinked. ‘Oh these poor children…’ he thought in dismay.

Colin didn’t notice him pause. He walked into what can only be described as a closet with shelving and hopped a few times until his hand caught the pull chain to an overhead lightbulb. Making a small noise of triumph, which was very endearing, he tugged and brought the dim bulb to life. It only helped to show how meager their collection was. Damian had to remind himself that he lived in a manor. It was pointless to compare the large, sprawling room in his Father’s home to...this. They were both libraries, the size doesn’t matter.

“There’s a good collection here.” he said as he stepped inside next to Colin. They were standing shoulder to shoulder and looking at the three lowest shelves which had from bottom to top picture books, small chapter books, and a decent handful of books for his and Colin’s age range.

He watched as Colin lightly ran his hands over the books on top. “We try not to keep too many. The Jubilee Library is right down the street, so we go there once a week. Sometimes they have book sales. That’s where most of these came from.” His face brightened and he pulled one book out and handed it to Damian. “This series is one of my favorites.”

“Into the Wild.” he scanned the cover, noticing the pictures of cats and finding himself intrigued. He turned it over to skim the back. “Do you like cats, Colin?”

“What’s not to like?” Colin grinned. “These get so good! They’re kinda dark but that’s why I like them. They’re honest even when things get brutal. And there are so many! I think I’ve read most of them? I know the Gotham library system doesn’t have them all yet and there’s only the first series here, but I try to get to them all when I can…”

Damian let Colin gush for a little while. The more he spoke the more Damian intended to read these books that Colin enjoyed so much. He even took out his phone to take a picture of the cover so he would remember it later. The way Colin’s eyes sparkled showed how impassioned he was about them. Were there other things that could bring such liveliness to those dark green orbs? Would Damian be able to one day?

When Colin finished he seemed a little embarrassed. He fiddled with his fingers as Damian put the book back in its proper place. “So...do you like cats?”

“Yes, I do.” Damian gave him a small smile. He’d let his own pet cat, Alfred, be a surprise for when they went home. It pleased him to think of how Colin would react.

Colin bit his lip lightly. “It’s...funny isn’t it? How everything’s changed but nothing really changed.”

“Only we changed.” Damain agreed.

“Yeah. Only us.”

“I know what you mean. I almost feel as if I should be--”

“Doing something?”

“Yes.” So it wasn’t just him. “You feel it as well?”

“Uh-huh.” Colin nodded. “I mean...I met my soulmate today. I kinda feel like I wanna…do something silly.”

Damian tilted his head. “Such as?”

Colin lightly swung his arms at his sides, only looking up at him through his bangs. “I dunno like...dance around and laugh and maybe jump up and down?” He blushed, voice almost mumbling. “You know, ‘cause I’m happy.”

“I’m not sure I would do that, myself. Something equally foolish, maybe.”

“Liiiiikee?”

“Mm...gloat, perhaps?”

Colin laughed, but kindly. His voice was of amused disbelief. “Gloat?”

“Why not? As you said, I’ve met my soulmate today. Part of me wants to rub it in other people’s faces.”

“Damian!”

“Is that so bad?”

“It’s not bad.” Colin still smiled, even as he shook his head. “But it’s not really nice.”

Damian could only shrug. It was the truth, after all. “Perhaps neither of us should do anything. At least for now.”

“Probably a good idea, yeah.” he reached up and pulled off the light. “Let’s keep going, we’re almost at my room.”

-----

The tour was going good. Colin felt really glad. He wanted to impress Damian, to show him what a good place this was for him to live. Because he was sure he’d be staying here and not going home with them. There was no way.

Damian is amazing. At least, Colin thought so. Sure, maybe it was too soon to say that, and maybe Damian being his soulmate was making him have a stronger opinion then he would for someone else’s soulmate. But still, it was so easy to talk to Damian. He felt like he could talk, that he was allowed. He rarely felt like that with other people.

But Colin moving in was what Damian wanted. And unless he totally misread Mr. Wayne, Damian was just a kid like him. A rich kid for sure, but he listened to his dad. Colin could tell that there was a lot of respect between them. They must’ve got very close since Damian moved to America a year ago. So even if Damian wanted Colin to live with him in a big mansion that most people didn’t even get to see, that doesn’t mean Mr. Wayne wants him there. Besides, his place was here.

When soulmates meet and they aren’t grown up yet they don’t move in together. They live in their own houses with their families. Usually when they graduate high school they might move in together, unless their parents thought it wasn’t appropriate. Especially if they haven’t even had a marriage party yet.

Colin felt himself blushing. Thankfully Damian didn’t see because he was looking around at the kids’ room. A marriage party. They were gonna have one of those in a year. Everyone does it on their one year anniversary. It’s a special party where they invited everyone they knew to come and watch them say nice things to each other in front of a priest and tell the whole world that they were happy together and always would be. Or at least that’s what they do on TV. Colin didn’t think he’d have to do this stuff for a long time. Maybe never. Some people don’t meet their soulmates at all. They were young, and lucky.

Damian turned to him. “There are four bunk beds in here. Aren’t there seven kids living here besides yourself?”

“Yes.” Colin nodded. “Why do you ask?”

“Most of these have fresh bedding. Except for one. Yet eight of you live here. Does that mean you have your own room?”

‘Wow, he figured that all out just by looking around?’ Colin was impressed. “Well yeah. There’s some dumb rule about kids over ten having their own room, otherwise I’d share. And kids under five would too, but we don’t have the room. Tyler turned five a little while ago so the Sisters don’t have to worry about any trouble from the city. And we haven’t had a baby come to St. Aden’s in a long, long time.”

“How long?”

Colin wasn’t really sure why he hesitated. “Nine years...uh let’s um go to my room. It’s at the end.” Turning his back to Damian, he pushed his hands into his pockets and moved out of the room into the hall. He felt bad for walking away like that, and almost turned back to apologize until he realized that Damian had followed him and was standing right next to him. There was a question in Damian’s light blue eyes, Colin could tell. But he just gave the other boy a half smile and led the way to his own door which was already open.

“This is my room. Last but not least.” he chuckled a bit at the lame joke as he stepped through the doorway. He looked at all his familiar things, suddenly wondering what Damian would think of them. He’d never felt self conscious of his room before.

What Damian said next Colin didn’t understand. It was a language for sure, but he didn’t speak it. He knew the tone though, and it made him look back over his shoulder at the other boy who was still standing in the doorway.

Damian’s eyes were wide, or at least wide for him. “Colin...those are all yours?”

Colin turned and saw what he was looking at. He realized he was smiling, because this was the one thing he was proud of. “The articles? Yeah, I collect ‘em.”

When Damian came and stood near Colin’s bed, his eyes roaming over the pictures and clippings on Colin’s wall, the redheaded boy could have burst. There were so many things he wanted to say, wanted to ask. It was hard not to geek out.

But all he asked was, “What was that you said before?”

Damian blinked, looking between Colin and the pictures on the wall. “That? Yes. It was Arabic. I don’t recall if there’s a direct translation into English...I’m just surprised…” he gestured at the wall with his hand. “You’re a fan...clearly.”

It was funny, seeing Damian stumble over his words like that. Colin almost wanted to tease him. Instead he proudly said, “Yes I am.”

“There are so many…”

“I have more.” Damian looked at him in surprise. “Those’re just my favorite ones. Here, I’ll show you!”

Kneeling down, Colin reached under the bed and pulled out a shoe box. It was a big one that used to hold size ten men’s sneakers. He set it on the bed and sat on the edge, reaching over it to pat a spot for Damian to sit. When he did Colin smiled and lifted the lid off the box and put it down behind them. He pushed it a little closer to Damian so that he knew he could pull some articles out before pulling one out himself. The one he was holding was a scan of the first article written about Batgirl. It had come out of the printer wonky at the library, but it was still readable so he’d kept it.

“These are quality articles.” Damian was making a small pile in one hand as he read one after another and kept holding on to them. “These reporters are all fair. There isn’t a smear campaign in here.”

“Yeah, I hate those.” Colin looked at a few pictures he hadn’t seen in a while before handing them to Damian. “I know they’re not perfect, not even Superman is perfect, but there’s a way to write about it without being mean. I only keep the ones that are fair. Like this one about the Justice League,” he handed that article to him, “it’s written by some guy named Clark Kent.”

He almost jumped in surprise when Damian snorted. He had turned away from Colin and wiped at his mouth with the back of his hand.

“Are you okay...?”

“Yes!” Damian cleared his throat, “Yes. That was just a sneeze.”

“Oh. God bless you!”

“Thank you. Ahem, yes, Father likes Kent’s works, too.”

Colin thought Damian was holding back a smile for some reason but shrugged it off and kept looking through his collection. This was bringing back memories, since he’d had some of these for years. The box had been almost full when they started but now most of the things inside it were laying on Colin’s bed in stacks and piles.

“What’s this?” Damian had put down the stack he’d been holding and reached under what little was left to pull out something on the very bottom.

Colin saw the light reflect off the plastic baggie and felt himself tense up. “That’s…”

Gently holding it in both hands Damian looked between him and it. “...this is you and your mother, isn’t it Colin?” he asked softly. Colin didn’t have to look to know what Damian was seeing.

Inside the plastic baggie was a piece of paper. Paperclipped to the bottom was a picture of a little red haired baby held in the arms of a pretty lady. She had dark hair in a bob, and she was smiling down at Colin and holding a stuffed teddy bear so he could reach out and touch it. Written at the top in pretty handwriting was, “This is my son, Colin. I love him very much.” That was all that he had of her.

He bit his lip, sighed, and then nodded. “Uh-huh. She put that in the laundry basket with us when she brought us here…”

“Nine years ago.” Damian remembered.

“Yeah. I’m the last baby that was left at St. Aden’s.”

When Damian looked up from the picture he leaned to the side to peer around Colin. “That bear on your pillow, it’s the same one in this picture.”

Colin looked behind him. Rory was sitting where he’d left him this morning after making his bed, leaning back against Colin’s pillow. He couldn’t help picking him up and moving him to hold against his chest.

“His name’s Rory...he’s...my best friend.” Colin mumbled. He peeked up at Damian through his bangs. “I know that’s dumb--”

“What’s so dumb about it?” Damian interrupted. His eyebrows were meeting in the middle and he looked like he wanted to fight someone. “If someone told you that, they’re wrong!”

Colin rubbed one of Rory’s ears between his thumb and finger. He wasn’t sure what to think about the fact that Damian was defending him so fiercely. He just knew he liked it, even though he didn’t want Damian to get in trouble for his sake. But maybe...he wanted Damian to want to get in trouble for his sake? That doesn’t make any sense at all, but Colin didn’t care.

Damian seemed to calm down when Colin didn’t say anything back. “I don’t see why anyone would think it dumb. I might not have one myself, but I can understand having something that is precious to you. Especially if he’s a gift from your mother…”

Carefully putting the picture and letter back in the box, Damian reached over to pet Rory on the head. “I haven’t seen my mother in some time…”

“How come?” Colin asked quietly.

Damian sighed. “It’s very complicated.”

When he didn’t say any more Colin asked, “Is that what having a family is like?”

“Yes. Very much so.” he paused. “Yet it is nice to know that...even if we don’t always get along, I can still rely on them.” Damian looked Colin in the eye and took his hand in his again. “We have each other, Colin. That means you can rely on me now. If you want to…”

‘You’re wonderful, Damian Wayne.’ Colin thought as his heart sped up in his chest.

“I’d like that.” he said out loud.

There was a soft knock on the doorframe. The boys looked up to see Dick standing there, a soft smile on his face. “Hey you two. Been keeping busy up here?”

They shared a look, and a smile. Then turned back to Dick. “Yeah,” Colin answered, “I’ve been showing Damian around.”

Damian nodded in agreement.

“That’s great.” Dick beamed and took a couple steps into the room. “This is nice. This your room, Colin?”

“Uh-huh.” Colin still felt a little shy, but less than before.

“Cool, cool.” He grinned at Damian. “I hope you’ve been behaving in here.”

When Damian rolled his eyes Colin wondered if he did that a lot when he talked to Dick. “What do you want, Grayson?”

“I just came to tell you guys that Bruce wrapped up the party. The reporters were told to take a hike. But you know, nicely. It’s safe to come out now.”

“Good.” Damian started to pick up the articles and put them away neatly.

“Wait, what about the donations?” Colin asked.

“Don’t worry! Bruce gave his whole speech, earlier than expected of course, and tallied everything up. Any guess on the total?” When both boys shook their heads his grin got wider. “Two hundred and fifty thousand.”

Colin gasped. Even Damian’s eyes were wide. “That’s three times Drake’s final estimate!”

“I know! And that’s before Bruce doubled it like he said he would.”

Colin’s hands came up to his mouth. “Five hundred thousand dollars...” It was a miracle! This was more money than they’d ever hoped for!

“This is wonderful, Colin.” Damian said, “With those funds to work with, St. Aden’s could be completely renovated. You’ll hardly recognize it!”

He was still too surprised to speak, his hands pressing against his cheeks.

“Actually now that Damian brought it up, there’s another reason why I came to find you guys. Bruce is waiting for you two down in Sister Agnes’ office. He wants to talk to you before he fills out Colin’s adoption papers.”

Chapter 4

Chapter Text

“Whoa Damian! Slow down, where’s the fire?”

Damian was feeling so much anticipation that he didn’t even respond to Grayson. With Colin’s hand firmly in his, he led his soulmate back down the hallway towards the stairs.

Colin began to stammer, “I-I really don’t think we need to hurry--”

“Nonsense, Colin. The sooner Father is done the sooner I can bring you home. There’s an open room across the hall from mine. It will be yours once it’s tidied up.”

“Damian--!”

“It won’t take long, no need to fret.” Damian interrupted as they started down the stairs. Clearly Colin was concerned about the trouble they would be going to for his sake. Though really, it was hardly going to be a bother. Especially not once Pennyworth learned of this. Damian was more than sure the older man would be willing to do all in his power to help Colin feel welcome at the manor.

“Seriously, Damian. Maybe you should slow down a little?” Grayson said, following them.

“No, you should try to keep up, Grayson.” Honestly, from his tone you would think Damian was running down the stairs full tilt like an imbecile. He had more sense than that.

When they reached the bottom of the stairs he was about to walk into Sister Agnes’ office directly across from them. He could already see the Sister and Father waiting for them, talking quietly to one another. However the next thing he knew they were surrounded by the gaggle of children that came hurrying out of the playroom.

“It’s Colin!”

“There you are!”

“Is this your soulmate?”

“Colin, your eyes are so pretty!”

“You better be nice to him, or else!”

“Yeah! Collie’s the best!”

Damian found his head turning every which way trying to keep up with what each of them was saying. Colin didn’t seem to be having any trouble at all. He answered their questions with hardly a pause, letting them crowd around him and tug on his arm or his clothes. He was so natural with them, it was envyable. Damian on the other hand was struggling to know what to do or say to the few kids whose attention was directed at him. It made sense that as Colin’s pseudo family they would want to check him out and make sure he was a good match for Colin. So far they seemed to approve. In fact the youngest, a boy named Tyler, was hanging on to Damian’s free hand as if it was something he did every day. If Damian was remembering correctly neither he nor Colin were at the start of the party but were still named by the Sisters.

“Are you and Collie gonna be together forever?” Tyler asked innocently.

“He is my soulmate.” Damian responded as kindly as he could. After all, Tyler was just a young child and didn’t know better. “Forever was my intention.”

“Wow…!” Tyler’s eyes were wide with wonder. “Collie, keep him, he seems nice!”

Colin giggled. “Yeah, I think so too, Ty.”

Damian found himself with the ridiculous urge to hug Colin, but of course he pushed that away. Far too soon for something like that, they’d just met today.

Then a girl who seemed only a little younger than Colin with wavy hair and, surprisingly to Damian, brown eyes, pushed through until she was standing in front of the redheaded boy. “Colin I’m so happy for you but, but, but you’ll never guess what happened!”

“Why, what’s going on, Shannon?” Colin started to get a concerned look on his face.

A blonde boy, with bright green eyes, put an arm around Shannon’s shoulders. “She’s getting adopted.” Even though there was a grin on his face there was sadness in his eyes. Damian knew this boy hadn’t been with the other children when he and the other’s were introduced to them earlier. In fact he’d overheard the two novice nuns, Sister Rachel and Sister Carrie who didn’t have full habits yet, talking to each other about how a boy named Mikey had snuck into the party. They hadn’t seemed too bothered by this, and judging by the fact that his eyes weren’t black, Damian deduced that this boy must be Mikey and he must be Shannon’s soulmate.

“What?!” Colin’s voice had risen a full octave, making Damian blink in surprise. But he looked overjoyed. “Really? Is it really happening?”

“Yes!” Shannon held on to Mikey’s arm. “They were talking to me and Mikey at the party. They’re the Warners and they’re really, really nice! They’re coming back in a few days to sign the papers!”

“The Warners?” Damian looked over his shoulder at Grayson who had stood back so that they could talk. “As in Missy Warner? The talk show hostess? I thought I saw her and her wife here.”

“That’s where I saw her before, Shan.” Mikey said, his mouth dropping open in surprise. “She was on TV!”

“Wow...my new mom’s on TV…” Shannon looked like she might cry from happiness.

“I’m so happy for you!” Colin gave both of them a big hug. He really did look after the younger children here, not that much differently than Damian did for the citizens of Gotham as Robin. It only endeared him to Damian even more to see how kindhearted Colin is.

“Now dears, let’s not crowd them.” Sister Agnes was standing just outside the doorway to her office with Father. The two had stepped out to watch the scene with fond expressions. Then the matronly head of St. Aden’s came to gently shoo the children toward the playroom. “I have to speak with Colin and Damian now.”

“Aw…” came the chorus of disappointed voices. Yet they went without further complaint.

“You too Tyler, come along. And Kasey, it isn’t polite to talk about someone else’s eyes, remember?”

“Oh yeah. Sorry.” said one of the little girls as the children moved as a group into the playroom with the younger Sisters following after them. Colin trailed a bit behind them, most likely to help if he was needed.

Damian raised an eyebrow. He’d never heard that custom before. Must be an American thing.

That was when he noticed Drake. The teen was standing near the entryway to the kitchen, leaning against the wall. His phone for once was absent from his hand. With his arms crossed over his chest and his shoulders hunched he looked like he was trying to make himself small. When he lifted his gaze and met Damian’s eyes the younger boy nearly balked at the ugly scowl that appeared on Drake’s face. Perhaps they’d not gotten along recently, but he had never looked at Damian like that before.

Drake’s gaze lifted to just above Damian’s head. Then he turned and walked away into the kitchen. Damian was just able to catch the blatant concern on Grayson’s face before he followed after him. Then he turned to see Father, who Drake must have hardly looked at before leaving. There was a look, subtle and held back, of something between disapproval and...pain? It was gone as soon as it appeared, and something like the Brucie facade that Damian despised slid back into place. Thankfully the entire interaction happened within a few moments, and before Colin or Sister Agnes noticed after returning from making sure the children were settled.

Father moved to stand behind him and Colin so he could guide them into the office. “Sister Agnes and I want to talk to the two of you. Is that okay with you, Colin?”

Colin looked surprised at being addressed. “Y-Yes, Mr. Wayne.”

Sister Agnes offered her hand to Colin and then patted his between her own. “It’s going to be alright, Colin.” Her expression was encouraging, though Damian didn’t know what Colin might need it for.

They stepped into the neat and tidy office. It was very full because of the size of the room. There were filing cabinets, a desk that took up most of the space, a desk chair behind it and a cushioned chair in front of it, with a computer monitor that was neither very old nor new. Then of course were the personal touches like art work and arts and crafts projects on her desk and the walls. It looked inviting, which probably served itself well to encourage couples to adopt.

Damian noticed there was a manila file folder sitting in the middle of the desk as well as a small stack of papers beside it. ‘Good,’ he thought, ‘Sister Agnes has already prepared Colin’s paperwork. We’ll still be home in time for dinner.’

“Here, why don’t you take a seat Colin?” Father guided the redhead to the chair, giving his shoulder a squeeze. Damian felt like he was missing something but he tried to push it aside and went to stand on Colin’s right. He couldn’t help himself and took Colin’s hand where it was resting on the arm of the chair. When those deep green eyes looked up from behind ginger bangs and he gave a small, pinched smile, Damian knew something was wrong.

Sister Agnes stood behind her desk and smiled. “Let me start by saying how happy I am for you both. This is a wonderful day.” Her eyes were welling lightly with tears. “Two souls finding each other is always something to celebrate, especially when you’re so young…” Her voice became strained and she pulled out a handkerchief to pat at her eyes.

Colin’s face was pained. “Sister Agnes…”

“Oh nevermind this silly old lady.” her voice wobbled. She took a deep breath, and after wiping her face regained her composure quite well in Damian’s opinion. She then cleared her throat. “Mr. Wayne and I have been talking about what we’re going to be doing going forward. There’s a decision that has to be made, and it’s an important one. Mr. Wayne?”

Father smiled charmingly at her. “Please, I said you can call me Bruce.”

“There’s no need for that charm,” she was holding back a larger smile, “the Sisters and I owe you thanks many times over. I’d say we’re on familiar terms by now.”

“Of course.” he chuckled. Kneeling down on Colin’s left side he met his eyes. “Colin, do you know what a ward is?”

“L-Like the kind in a hospital?”

“Well, yes. That’s true, but I was talking about a ward as a person. You see, there’s a law that would let me be your guardian. Because you’re Damian’s soulmate I can’t legally adopt you, but if you were my ward I could give you a place to live and make sure you’re taken care of and have everything you need. I’d like to do that for you.”

Colin blinked at the man. Then his jaw fell open and his head whipped to face Sister Agnes. “I have to leave?!”

“Colin--” she started but Damian interrupted.

“Of course you would! We’re soulmates, we should be together!” He wasn’t shouting. He was trying very hard not to, even though he felt his chest tightening. “Why wouldn’t you want to live with me?”

“B-Because I should be here! Right...?” He looked at Sister Agnes for some kind of answer.

Father quickly shut the door to the office which had been cracked until now. “Damian, don’t raise your voice--”

“Don’t you want me here anymore?” Colin’s voice cracked, and Damian swore his heart cracked at the sound of it, for more than one reason. He felt foolish. How could he have not realized his soulmate might not want him around the same way he did? Was he being selfish?

Before Sister Agnes could speak, Father did. “Boys. Calm down, both of you. Please.” His voice had the same no nonsense tone that it did last night when he spoke to the others over the comm line. It was only the association with being Robin and the slight hint of the Bat that cut through his panic and made Damian calm down.

“But Father…”

Father held up a hand and Damian stopped talking.

“Colin, of course we want you here.” Sister Agnes had her hands pressed over her heart. “We love you very much. But we want you, all of you, to find homes and families who love you just as much as we do. I know you weren’t expecting something like this to happen, but it is a good thing, dear.”

Damian hesitated before softly asking, “You didn’t expect to be an orphan forever, did you?”

Colin looked up at him but then looked away. “No...okay maybe I didn’t think I’d ever be adopted…”

‘Oh, Colin…’ Damian thought as his chest tightened again.

“I-I don’t know...everything’s happening all of a sudden.” Damian could see Colin swallow nervously. “I guess I don’t have a choice, do I?” He looked between Father and Sister Agnes.

The hand Damian still held suddenly felt too warm against his palm. At the same time he felt as if a cube of ice had settled in his stomach. This wasn’t right. He didn’t want Colin to feel as if he were backed into a corner. Certainly he wanted Colin to choose what he wanted, but not because he thought he had to. Was this how Mother had felt when Damian had chosen to leave her? Would he only get to watch Colin from afar, and see him in person on rare occasions? Would the distance between them mean they wouldn’t be close? Would Colin resent him for turning his world upside down and yet hardly being in it?

Father must have seen how Damian’s mind was swirling with these heavy questions, because the man took Damian’s wrist in one hand and settled the other on Colin’s shoulder.

“Of course you have a choice, Colin. Even if you were my ward, it doesn’t mean you would have to move in with us. You could stay here at St. Aden’s, and the Sisters would still help you to find a family to adopt you as their son. Things don’t have to change so drastically if you don’t want them to.”

He wouldn’t beg. Damian Wayne refused to beg. But if they would just see reason. “Father, the press. The paparazzi. We’ll be all over the news if we aren’t already. They’ll never give him any peace--”

“Damian!” Father scolded. It was only then that he noticed how his words made both Colin and Sister Agnes look anxious. He felt himself lose that last bit of hope as Father continued. “If I have to hire personal guards for the Sisters and the children I’ll do so. But that doesn’t change the fact that this is Colin’s choice and we won’t be making it for him.”

That was it then. There was nothing Damian could do, except hope. It wasn’t enough.

“Why don’t we do this,” Father released Damian so he could push the folder on the desk away a bit. “Let’s not choose anything right now. This has been a very eventful day for both of you. I think, if Sister Agnes agrees,” he paused so that she could nod in agreement, “that Damian, Dick, Tim, and I should go home. We’ll come back tomorrow,” he quickly added when Damian, and Damian noticed Colin also, looked up at him with concern. “But I think we should take the rest of today and tonight to think about what we want to do, and when we come back tomorrow we might have a better idea. What do you think?”

Damian knew what he thought about this. He knew Father knew it as well. These questions, this offer, was entirely for Colin’s sake. He met those remarkable dark green eyes and saw that Colin understood all of this as well as he did.

“Damian…” Colin began hesitantly, “is it okay if I think about it, and tell you what I picked tomorrow?”

Old instincts rose in Damian. He wanted things to go his way, and if they weren’t his way then he wanted to make his displeasure very known. He was the son of Batman, the grandson of Ra’s al Ghul, when he wanted something it was given to him or he would do whatever it took to get it. Anything else is unthinkable.

Yet the way Colin looked at him, the uncertainty he wore plain as day on his face, made all those old instincts melt away until nothing remained. How could he deny his soulmate, his other half, anything at all? Especially when he asked so little of him.

Grandfather was right; a soulmate can make a strong man soft.

“I don’t want you to be unhappy, Colin.” he admitted. He took both of Colin’s hands in his, so that they were face to face with each other. “If this is what you want, then I’ll do it.”

The grateful relief on Colin’s face lessened that tight feeling inside of his chest. Though he didn’t miss the sad look that was also there just under the surface. “Thank you.” he said, voice soft and gentle. “I just need a while by myself. To think. I want to do the right thing. For us.”

He could listen to that voice for the rest of his life. He wanted to know how this boy thought, what he dreamt about, what his greatest desire was. He wanted it, he wanted it so very much. Even if it meant waiting for it.

“You will, Colin. I know you will.”

The next few minutes passed too quickly for Damian’s liking. They had all stepped out of Sister Agnes’ office and into the space before the front door. He was aware of Father and Sister Agnes talking, most likely to arrange a time for them to come back, but for once he wasn’t listening in on an adult’s conversation. Instead he stood side by side with Colin, holding hands yet again. Their shoulders brushed every other moment and they couldn’t look away from each other. Damian would have thought they were Moon Eyed again but his head felt much clearer this time. And he was able to turn away from him when he heard the sound of the front door opening.

Grayson peeked inside. Damian wondered when he had stepped out to begin with, and why he hadn’t noticed. “Bruce? Alfred’s here with the car. Tim’s with him, waiting. Are we good to go, or did you need a few more minutes?”

“We’re ready to go, Dick.” Father turned to them, his face sympathetic. “Damian? Do you want some privacy to say goodbye?”

Damian shook his head. It was already hard enough knowing he and Colin would be apart from each other, a long goodbye would only make it harder. He saw from the corner of his eye when he turned to Colin that Grayson looked surprised. He heard Father softly tell him that he would explain in the car.

“I suppose--” he started.

“Wait!” Colin said quickly. “I don’t want you to say goodbye...that makes it sound like it’s for forever. I mean, I’ll see you tomorrow, right?”

Damian’s mouth quirked up at the side, and he was glad to see Colin mirror the expression. “Why don’t we let that be that, then? I will see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow.” echoed Colin.

For a moment they stood still, and Damian was about to pull his hand from Colin’s and walk away. If he had to be the stronger of the two he didn’t mind. Then he felt Colin’s free hand rest on his shoulder. Colin moved closer and Damian wasn’t sure what was going to happen. Then Colin lowered his head and rested the side of it against Damian’s, his temple against Damian’s jaw. He could feel the soft ginger hair of Colin’s bangs brush his skin and feel the warmth of his breath when he whispered.

“I’ll miss you.”

Damian blinked. His free hand came to rest on Colin’s arm almost of its own volition. He still believed it was too soon for them to embrace. But this wasn’t really a full embrace, just a tender showing of affection. One that didn’t make Damian feel pushed out of his comfort zone. How could Colin have known? Unless...it was just the type of gesture he would make naturally.

‘He is the one for me. This and his collection prove it beyond doubt.’ he marveled.

Allowing himself one more showing of weakness, he leaned against Colin in return. “I’ll miss you, too.”

Hard as it was, he took the first step back and then let Colin go. Colin’s hands trailed as they lowered until he could clasp them together. Damian wondered if Colin was trying to substitute the feeling of holding his hand.

“...Damian?” Father softly called.

“I’m coming.” He took a breath, let it out, let himself memorize the color of Colin’s eyes yet one more time, then turned and walked away from him.

Walking out the front door beside Father, he felt Grayson’s hand come to rest on his shoulder, but he ignored it as they descended the steps and walked to the town car. He got in, took his seat, ignored Drake who was sitting in Grayson’s usual spot, and tried and failed to put Colin out of his mind.

He sat staring forward as they pulled away from St. Aden’s. He’d caught a glimpse of ginger hair as he’d sat down, and made an effort not to look and see if Colin was watching them from the front door.

After Father had brought Grayson and Drake up to speed, Grayson turned in his seat to be face to face with him. “Hey...it’s okay if you feel disappointed.”

Damian raised his head to regard Grayson. “You knew Colin was unsure.”

“Kind of?” he admitted with a shrug. “I can tell he’s a shy kid, and if it were me I’d think things might be going a little fast. Take it from someone who’s sort of been where he’s been. It’s a lot to go suddenly from rags to riches.” As he says the last part he gives Father a smile. “Not that I regret anything.”

“I know, Dick.” Father said.

“Regardless,” Damian interjected, “Colin asked for time to think things over. I can give him that.”

“You get that if he decides to stay at St. Aden’s he’ll most likely have to move in with a foster family soon?”

Damian, Grayson, and Father all turned to Drake, who’d been silent up until then.

“Bonded kids can’t stay in children’s homes.” he clarified. “It takes space away from children who have no family ties and need somewhere to go.”

“So if Colin doesn’t come live with us he’ll have to leave St. Aden’s anyway.” Grayson had a pitying look on his face. “I wonder if he knows?”

Drake made a face. “I doubt it. Besides, it’s weird for him to turn down a home, especially a mansion. He must have a lot of baggage.”

“Colin is not weird.” Damian growled between clenched teeth. ‘How dare he?’

“Given the history most children in foster care have, it’s reasonable for Colin to be cautious.” Father put in, with a look at Drake that held a warning.

The teen raised his hands in surrender. “So he’s ‘Colin’ then? Not ‘Wilkes’?” Drake raised an eyebrow.

Damian was about ready to get up from his seat. “What is your problem?”

“Nothing. Do whatever you want.” Drake sat back against his seat. “Just watch that you don’t stress him out. Pay attention to his hands.”

“What are you talking about?”

He responded by raising his hand and rubbing two fingers against his thumb. It was an American gesture that typically referred to money, specifically asking for money. Damian was about to snap at Drake and tell him to give him a straight answer when Grayson noticed the hand gesture.

“Oh yeah! Colin was doing that at the party.” he mimicked the gesture as well. “I think that’s just what he does when he’s nervous, that’s all.”

An image flashed into Damian’s mind. Colin sitting on his bed facing him, his stuffed bear resting on his lap. The way Colin’s head was tilted down and he was rubbing one of Rory’s furred ears between his fingers. The insecurity in his eyes as he spoke about his mother…

“A nervous tick is nothing you need to concern yourself with, Drake. If Colin doesn’t care for crowds then he won’t be subjected to them. I’ve no intention of parading my soulmate around like a spectacle.”

“No one said you had to, son.” Father placed a placating hand on his shoulder. “There’s clearly a lot that none of us know about Colin, yet. Personally, I think he seems very nice.”

“You do?” Damian looked up at the man, feeling a hopeful burn behind his sternum. It was very important in his Mother’s culture that a parent approve of their child’s soulmate. While Father’s culture didn’t adhere strictly to the same tradition, it was custom for family members to comment on whether they believe two people are a “good match”. Their opinion doesn’t affect anything, and they might not give it right away, but it was something Americans wanted to hear from the people they cared for.

“I do.” His large hand moved to cup Damian’s chin and tilt it up so he could look at his eyes. A parent doing so was normal, though it would be rude for a stranger. “They suit you.” he said softly, with the tiniest hint of affection. From Father it was quite a lot.

“I haven’t seen them yet. What color are they?”

“Blue.” Grayson answered with a smile. He reached into a pocket and pulled out a small rectangular mirror. Of course he had one, he spent far too many waking hours preening.

With a roll of his eyes he took the mirror and looked at himself. They really were blue. Light blue, like Father’s. For a moment a strange feeling settled in his stomach. ‘Would Father still think they suited me if they resembled Mother’s?’

He was about to ask that very question when Grayson’s phone began blaring loud rock music from his pocket.

“Jason never calls!” Grayson exclaimed, though not unhappily. With his phone fished out he tapped the screen and brought it to his ear. “Jaybird...huh? Why? Okay, okay!” Holding his phone out he turned the speakerphone on. “Wh--”

“Yo, Demon.” Came Todd’s voice, the tone and nickname making Damian’s eyebrow twitch. “Didja know you and your lil boyfriend are trending?”

“Tt. I’m not surprised.” He glanced at Father, remembering how he brought the subject up in Sister Agnes’ office.

“How bad?” Father asked succinctly.

“Depends. Between all the major places there are millions of hits and views and likes and reblogs and comments. Like, millions, B.”

“Whoa.” Grayson said. Appropriate, given the scale of things.

“It’s barely been three hours.” Drake commented.

“No sh*t.” Todd stated bluntly. “People are going nuts. All they know is he’s a ginger. Once Oracle caught wind of this, and let’s face it it’s Barbie she knew within seconds, she used all her fancy tech skills to block anyone getting at the kid’s name and records.”

“I’ll have to thank Barbara.” Father lost some of the tenseness about his shoulders. “She probably already found the program I uploaded to the computer while I was in the office.”

“Of course you did.” Todd replied dryly. “But seriously, I had to hear about this from Roy? When were you asses gonna bring me up to speed? What, do I have to sign up to the family newsletter or something? With the way Replacement’s always on that damn phone of his, you couldn’t f*cking text me?”

“Language.” Father said.

“Regardless, Colin isn’t your concern, Todd.” Damian pointed out.

“What? I’m not gonna meet the kid?”

After Todd’s question the car went quiet. Unintentionally it seemed the black sheep of the family brought up something they’d neglected to think about.

“Bruce…” Grayson began hesitantly, “are we going to tell Colin about...us?”

Damian found himself holding his breath when Father didn’t immediately answer. The man’s brow furrowed in thought.

Grayson tilted his head. “We can’t keep him out of the loop forever. He’s going to wonder when Damian ends up injured from the job every now and again.”

“But we don’t know that he can keep a secret.” Drake brought up, annoyingly. “His soulmate is Robin. He might freak, in a good or bad way. Maybe both.”

“He’s what, ten?” Was what Todd put in. “So like he’s a damsel in distress waiting to happen.”

“Father.” Damian waited until the man turned to face him. “Colin is my soulmate. He must be trustworthy. He wouldn’t betray me.”

He didn’t like the frown that appeared on the man’s face. “You can’t know that for sure, Damian.”

“I trust him.” He insisted.

He heard Drake scoff. “I told you so. The kid’s wooed.”

‘Wooed?’

“Tim, leave him alone.” Father glanced at Drake, then turned back to Damian. “I don’t distrust Colin.”

“You don’t trust him, either.” Todd added in.

“You will. I assure you Father, you’ll see Colin can be trusted.” Damian felt a tenseness in his shoulders. Whether it was annoyance at Drake, or exasperation with Todd, or the want not to disappoint Father that caused it he wasn’t sure. What he was sure of was the fact that Colin could be trusted. His soulmate understood them and the work they did, if he knew their identities he would never reveal their secret. He simply had to get the others to believe it as well as he did.

“I’ll have to observe him for some time before I make my decision. Until I give the okay, no one tells Colin anything. Understood?”

-----

The kids of St. Aden peered around the corner to look at the door of Sister Agnes’ office. Rosita, who had some trouble not being nosy, had watched Colin’s soulmate leave with his family a little while ago. Then she watched as Colin stood in the doorway until they were long gone. When Sister Agnes had guided him away from the door and into her office, Rosita snuck back to the others and told them everything. Now they were camped in place, waiting to see what would happen.The younger Sisters had given up trying to get the children to go back to playing. Truthfully, they wanted to know what was happening, too.

After what seemed like many minutes, the door to the office was thrown open in a hurry. Colin rushed out and away up the stairs. When Sister Agnes called after him he didn’t answer her, which wasn’t like him at all.

Worried looks appear on little faces. “Didn’t Colin get ‘dopted?” Little Tyler asked.

“Is he leaving?”

“He looks sad…”

“Did we do something wrong?”

Sister Agnes stepped up to them and they became quiet. “I’d like all of you to let Colin be tonight. He has a lot to think about, and he needs some time alone, okay?”

“Yes, Sister Agnes...” they said together.

While Sister Carrie led the kids to the kitchen to wash their hands for dinner, Sister Rachel approached the oldest Sister. “Will Colin be joining us for dinner?”

“No, dear. I’ll bring him a plate later, he’ll eat in his room.”

“...you told him?”

Sister Agnes sighed. “I did. He’ll have to choose between the Waynes or a foster family. Understandably he’s upset.”

“After what those people did…”

“Forgiveness, Sister.” Though she said it, it was clear that she was struggling with it as well. “They have been to court, and answered for what they’ve done to Colin. It’s in God’s hands now...I only hope He gives Colin some guidance.”

Upstairs, in Colin’s room, the redhead was laying on his bed. The light was off leaving the room dark. His shoebox of articles was pushed to the foot of the bed. Colin held his bear, Rory, in a vice grip against his chest. He was shaking.

There were wet marks on his cheeks that he wiped away on Rory’s fur. He sniffled quietly. “It’s not fair, Rory...I don’t want parents. Or fosters. I wanna stay here…” He hiccupped quietly. “Wasn’t it bad enough the third time I got beat up? Or when they called me names? Or when they told me how much trouble I am? They didn’t want me and if they make me go live with new fosters they won’t want me, either…

“And what about the Sisters? And the kids? I can help them if I’m here. I can be good here.”

He was quiet for a few minutes.

“I don’t wanna be trouble for Damian. I want him to want me. I want his family to like me...I don’t know what to do, Rory.”

He took a shaky breath and tried to keep Mr. Wayne’s words close to his heart.

“It’s my choice…mine...”

Chapter 5

Chapter Text

With a few more rotations of the wrist the screw was firmly in place and Damian stepped back. “That’s the last one.”

Grayson stepped back as well. He tilted his head to the side, straightened up, and clapped Damian on the shoulder. “It looks good, Lil D. Colin will love it!”

Damian regarded the flatscreen they’d mounted to the wall of what would be Colin’s room. He had decided to place it opposite the bed so Colin could watch while resting. While Damian didn’t watch much himself, he thought an American boy like Colin would enjoy having the luxury.

“You’re sure?” he asked.

“Oh yeah,” Grayson nodded, “if I’d had my own TV when I moved in here I would’ve jumped with joy.”

“You have one now,” Damian pointed out.

“Not until a few years after. Alf used to be a real stickler about there being no TVs outside of the media room. Of course that was until he got laid up in bed with a broken leg and couldn’t watch his cooking shows.” he laughed. “You think Colin will want some games?”

“I will have to ask him. Procuring some won’t be that difficult.”

“You’re going to make him feel really welcome, Damian.” Grayson smiled. “He’ll love playing games on this screen, and it’ll be great for watching movies and shows...”

Damian let Grayson continue to babble. He appreciated the man’s positive outlook in this, it was why he’d asked for his assistance in furnishing Colin’s room. Him and Pennyworth.

Grayson had assumed the best of him since he’d taken Father’s place as Batman during that short but difficult period of time. A part of Damian would always be his Robin. Therefore he didn’t think Damian was trying to bribe Colin into moving into the Manor by having it full of nice things that he wouldn’t have elsewhere. And he wasn’t trying to bribe him. Grayson knew. That was why after dinner he’d agreed to help with a grin and no other comments.

Then there was Pennyworth. The man had, as Damian expected, been quietly shocked but clearly pleased when they had arrived home and he had been fully filled in. He too had cupped Damian’s jaw in his hand to see his eyes, and like Father said that they suited him. Which privately gave Damian some relief. Then the man had asked what he could do to help make “Master Colin” welcome. There was never a more reliable ally than Pennyworth. Mother’s assessment of him was spot on.

Thinking of the man must have summoned him. He appeared through the open doorway, topcoat set aside and shirtsleeves rolled up, with a large box balanced on a dolley. “Your order from the bookstore has arrived, Master Damian. Would you like me to place it near the bookshelf?” He gestured to the long, low wooden shelving unit that he and Grayson had helped move into the room. It was under the flatscreen.

“Yes, thank you Pennyworth.” When he knelt by the box the man offered him a boxcutter without being asked. The tape was cut, the flaps parted, and Damian nodded with approval. “Excellent.”

“Wow!” Grayson crouched by the box as well. “All these books are for Colin?”

“While he was giving me a tour of St. Aden’s Colin showed me the…’library’.” Damian pulled out the box sets first, removing the plastic coverings and admiring the colorful spine artwork. “He told me that he enjoyed this author’s work, therefore I thought he would enjoy having the entire collection.” He lined the books up chronologically, thankful that he memorized that list he had looked up.

He heard Grayson counting the books under his breath before he let out a low whistle. “Sixty some books with same day shipping? That’s a pretty penny, Damian.”

Damian paused, his hand stilling on the spine of the book he just pushed into place on the shelf. “Father said I could...do you think this is too much?”

“If Master Bruce gave you carte blanche to fund decorating Master Colin’s room then the blame is his.” Alfred’s mustache twitched upward with amusem*nt. “I’m sure the new young master will appreciate that you remembered his interests.”

He felt himself relax after hearing Pennyworth’s opinion. “He is my soulmate. I want Colin to be comfortable. Even if he only visits…”

“Aw, Damian...don’t take it too hard if that happens okay? Colin might just like having his own space, you know? It would be something you have in common.” Grayson rose from his crouch and moved to help Alfred put fresh bed sheets on Colin’s bed. It was a double, one they had kept in this room in the rare case of guests. Wayne Manor wasn’t welcome to just anyone, after all. Now this room would always belong to Colin.

“Tt,” he made the sound mostly out of habit. The fact of the matter was that he couldn’t stop worrying about Colin. What he would think, and what he would decide. There was only so much preparation he could do, everything else would have to wait until Colin came. If he came.

There was a knock at the open door before Father stepped in. Damian couldn’t help standing to greet him. It was a habit from his days in Grandfather’s home.

“It’s coming along very nicely in here.” Father gave the room a once over and smiled in his way, which was a relaxed and subtle manner. “Is that your old desk, Dick?”

“Sure is!” Grayson patted the top of the desk where it sat under the large french window. “Perfect for someone Damian sized.” He cooed before trying to ruffle Damian’s hair. He was swatted away, as usual.

“Safe to say Master Colin will feel very at home here.” A look was shared between Father and Pennyworth. The butler was Father’s oldest confidante, as such the two could speak without making a sound. Damian had a feeling it was about him.

The feeling was confirmed when Father said, “I’d like to talk to Damian for a minute. Alone.”

“Of course, Master Bruce. Come,” he set a hand on Grayson’s shoulder, “let’s fetch that wardrobe for the young master’s clothes.”

Grayson nodded in understanding before giving Damian an encouraging smile. And it did help Damian feel a bit braver as the two men stepped out of the room. Still he waited until the door closed behind them before facing his father. “Am I in trouble?”

Father smiled at his attempt at humor. “No more so than usual.” He sat at the foot of the bed by the footboard and gestured to the space beside him. “Everything is fine, Damian. I just want to have a man-to-man talk with you.”

“If it’s about sex you can save yourself the discomfort.” Damian hopped into place beside his Father. “Mother already covered that. It was exceedingly disquieting and left me with little interest for the foreseeable future.”

He could feel the way Father sighed as he rubbed his forehead. “Of course she did...remind me to thank Talia for that.” When the man saw the way Damian’s brow furrowed he looked apologetic. “Sorry. I know I shouldn’t kid about her. Anyway that wasn’t what I wanted to talk about.”

“Then what is it?”

It was strange, very strange to see Father hesitate. “It’s...having a soulmate isn’t always the...easiest thing....”

“Father...I do have some idea of how to be a good soulmate.” Damian resisted the urge to cross his arms but the words still came out defensively. If this was going to be a reminder to keep his temper in check and be nice he didn’t want to hear it. He’d improved since moving in, everyone had said so.

“Hey.” Father’s hand rested on his arm and he was pulled in against the man’s side. His voice was calming, but not condescending. “Easy. That wasn’t what I was going to say. I know you can be a loving, caring person. And I won’t let anyone say otherwise.”

Damian hoped he wasn’t blushing from the praise, even though he felt very pleased.

“You’ve shown a great side of yourself since being here. I can see it in the way you act around Titus.” They looked at the black great dane, who had laid down near the door to keep watch for his boy and not moved since. “And Alfie, too.” Father nodded toward the black and white cat who was grooming himself in the armchair Damian had picked for Colin’s comfort, which naturally meant the feline had to claim the spot for himself.

He rolled his eyes at the nickname the others had picked for his cat because ‘having two Alfreds in the house is too confusing’, according to Drake.

Father’s strong hands gently turned Damian to face him. “But son, having a soulmate is not the same thing as having a pet. Colin isn’t a dog, or a cat, or a cow.” The man glanced at the floor, a reminder that Damian’s third pet was down in the paddock they had built for her in the Cave. “Colin is a person. He has as many thoughts, dreams, and desires as you do. I got the impression that Colin might be the sort of person who’s comfortable letting others take the lead, but you shouldn’t assume that will always be the case. One day, he’ll have a different opinion on something than you will. You might even fight about it. Oh yes you will,” he said before Damian even opened his mouth to argue. “Everyone fights, son. Even soulmates. It might seem like taking control would be best, because you’ll think you know best, but it could blow up in your face. Take it from someone who’s been there.”

Damian didn’t know what to say. Father didn’t often talk about his own trials and tribulations as a soulmate. He looked into the ice blue eyes of the person he most aspired to be like, and vowed to take this advice to heart as he gave a nod of understanding.

“Being a good partner is a fifty-fifty thing, Damian. Be sure to listen as much as you’re being heard.”

“I understand, Father. I will try.”

“I know you will. I’m very proud of the way you’ve handled this, Damian.” In a rare show of affection Father stroked Damian’s hair until he cupped the back of his head.

In an ever more rare display of bashfulness, Damian looked away as he stammered, “Th-Thank you…”

When he looked up to see Father smiling at him, he resisted the urge to leap into the man’s arms. ‘What a sentimental fool I’m becoming! I’m too old for this sort of behavior!’

Father patted him on the shoulder. “I don’t know how much more work you have to do in here, but I’ll expect you both downstairs and suited up before nine.” The man stood, his hand pulling away.

Damian hesitated, then blurted out. “Actually…”

Father turned to him, an eyebrow raised in curiosity.

“I was...going to stay in for the night.”

Father blinked, regarding him a bit more closely. “You don’t want to go on patrol.”

His mind made up before he’d even told the man what he was thinking, Damian straightened up from where he sat. “No.”

“Hm.” There was no judgement on his face, but a thoughtful look appeared in his eyes. “You don’t usually turn down going out.” It wasn’t a question.

“I have been considering what Grayson said about me getting injured. He was right that it might concern Colin. I think I should take a more cautious approach to being Robin. Perhaps even patrol less often.”

“I see.”

In the moment of quiet that followed Damian held himself back from fidgeting as he met his father’s eyes. “I assumed you would be pleased. You’ve always thought me too reckless.”

“Oh, I am.” He continued to look at Damian, and he couldn’t help wondering yet again what was going on inside that genius mind. “If that’s what you want, you’ll be on monitor duty tonight.”

“Of course.”

Father nodded and nearly walked out the door before stopping, almost as if he were hesitating again. “Damian...you don’t have to change everything about yourself just because you have a soulmate. Don’t forget your own independence.”

Before Damian could respond the man walked away, not looking back.

-----

Colin put down his empty plate next to him on his bed. He wasn’t that hungry, but he always cleaned his plate for the Sisters’ sake. Even though it was really good like normal, it was like he was eating glue with how long it took to chew.

Pulling his knees up to his chest, he rested his chin on them. He’d calmed down a lot since crying earlier, and now he looked out his window at the street, dressed in his pajamas. It was quiet out there. Quieter than last night. Colin knew it was because Mr. Wayne asked Commissioner Gordon to put police cars around their street to keep the reporters away, so there wasn’t even any of the normal traffic. Sister Agnes told him that earlier. Right before she told him how he was going to have to move out of St. Aden’s.

He felt an empty pit in his belly. It was the one that came back every time his foster families fell through, when he knew it wasn’t going to work out and he had to leave the place he started to feel home was at, good or bad. But he’d never felt that way about St. Aden’s before. He’d hoped there would always be a place for him here, but it wasn’t going to happen. Like everything else. Now he had to figure out what he was going to do next.

That made the empty feeling go away a bit. It made him think about Damian. How he might have to leave, but because of Damian, and Mr. Wayne, he got to choose where he was going. It was so weird but good to be the one deciding something. If he was honest, Colin was kind of sick of sitting around and waiting for grown ups to pick what to do with him after years of putting up with it. That didn’t mean he was any closer to picking what he wanted, though...

When Sister Agnes stepped through the open doorway he couldn’t look at her. He felt bad about running away from her earlier. He’d never done that before. It felt like he should put a wall between them. He might love her like a mother, but she couldn’t be his mom. He’d always known that, but that didn’t stop how he felt.

It didn’t help that when she sat behind him and pulled him into a hug he melted against her. “I’m sorry for--”

“Tut tut! None of that, Colin. You don’t have to apologize to me.”

He never did. That was probably why he loved her. She just got him.

“Do you think...Damian will...get me? The way you do?”

She chuckled, and pressed a kiss into his hair. “Of course he will. You keep your heart safely cupped in your hands, waiting to show it to someone you can trust. I think your Damian has enough strength of character to take good care of it, when you’re ready for him to have it.”

Colin was sure the tips of his ears were red, but even though he was embarrassed it wasn’t the same as being embarrassed about other, dumber things. He even had a smile he was trying to hold in.

“There’s our Colin.” Sister Agnes cooed.

“...I’m still scared.”

“I know, dear. I would do more for you if I could.”

“You’ve done everything for me, Sister Agnes. You always have.”

“...I think I have an idea. It’ll help you feel better.”

Colin turned to face her. He tilted his head at the smile on her face. “What’s that?”

“Come with me.” She led him out of his room, his curiosity making him follow her closely.

-----

The Cave was active as the Bat clan prepared for patrol. Tim was at the computer, charting out their routes and calculating the rate of crime they each would most likely face that night. Dick had just come out of the changing rooms, fully suited up. Bruce was finishing sorting out their gadgets in three organized groups. Only three.

Damian sat at the meeting table in the center of the main platform. The table itself was a smart screen that could display holographic images. It was showing a mock up of Gotham City, which Damian moved through using the tip of his pointer finger. Without thinking about it he moved the holograph until he could zoom in on St. Aden’s. With a tap colored blips appeared around the building. The yellow were for the safety tech they’d put in place the night before. The blue were for the police vehicles that patrolled up and down the street the building was on. The green were for Oracle’s cameras. Damian visibly relaxed when there was no sign of suspicious activity.

Dick paused on his way past the table. The blueish light from the holograms tinted his face, which was looking at Damian curiously. “You’re sure you want to stay in tonight?”

“I made my choice clear to Father, Grayson. I will be on watch, should you need my help. Surely you can survive one night without me?” He lifted a brow, a friendly challenge in his expression.

That pulled a laugh from the former Robin. “Oh, so now we’re co*cky, huh?”

“Tt. Try not to die out there.”

“Gee thanks.” With one more smile he walked away to join Bruce.

When Tim walked around the table in the same direction he narrowed his domino covered eyes at Damian with dislike plain on his face. He’d voiced his thoughts about Damian staying in for the night. He still believed Damian was wooed by Colin. “Wooed” was slang for a phenomenon that happened where a new soulmate became completely enamored with their other half. So much so that they didn’t act like themselves. He’d called the teen an imbecile.

Damian mirrored the expression leveled at him. “Drake.”

“Demon.” he hissed back. The other boy missed the way Damian frowned after him.

With a wave of his hand the holograph returned to a full Gotham overview, the blips disappearing. He looked up as Pennyworth approached him, holding a cordless home phone in one hand.

“Master Damian? Telephone for you.”

That caught the attention of the Cave’s other occupants, who were only off to the side at the toolbench. They all looked over as Damian blinked in surprise.

“Who is it?”

The older man’s mustache raised at the corners when he smiled. “Master Colin, sir.”

Dick gasped with delight, then started to make loud kissing noises. Bruce clapped him lightly on the back of the head.

“Honestly, Grayson. How old are you?” Damian asked as he took the phone in his hand. He was tempted to say more but he worried about Colin overhearing.

“Old enough to know better.” Bruce answered, giving the eldest former Robin an unamused look. Surprisingly Tim even elbowed him in the ribs. Damian stepped away from the table as Dick attempted to defend himself from them.

Walking up the metal steps to the next highest platform, he headed toward the Cave’s main computer. He climbed into his father’s tall chair in front of the monitors, turning so that its back was facing the others. He took a breath and spoke into the phone, “This is Damian Wayne.”

On the other end of the line, Colin swallowed. “H-Hi Damian.” He was inside Sister Agnes’ office, sitting cross legged in her computer chair. She’d left him alone with the phone after dialing the number and asking if he could talk to Damian. It was nine o’clock at night, but they had been told yes.

“Colin.” Damian released his name on an exhale. He unintentionally smiled. “I’m glad to hear from you.”

“Really? I mean, it’s getting late.”

“I’m happy to have you call at any hour. I should have left you the number for my cell. If you ever need me you may call at any time. I insist.”

Colin smiled, wrapping the cord of the phone around his hand. “Okay. I will. Your dad gave Sister Agnes the number for your house, she offered to call you for me.”

“I’m glad she did. Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?”

“Um...kind of...I’m not sure how to say it.” Colin slumped back in the chair.

Damian rested an ankle on the opposite knee. “...I can tell something is on your mind.”

“...I can’t stay at St. Aden’s anymore. The Sister’s have to look for foster parents for me. It’s the rule, because we…” he trailed off, his voice becoming quiet.

“...I’m sorry, Colin. I know that isn’t what you wanted.”

“Don’t be sorry! I’m so happy we met. But I don’t want fosters, Damian. Not again…”

Damian looked at the screen in front of him. The file Bruce had made earlier was still highlighted, but not opened. He’d seen the others looking at it when he’d come down into the Cave. Colin’s name and all information they’d been able to collect from public files. The police reports, the photos…those photos would haunt him, even though the evidence they held meant that Colin’s abusers had been convicted and sentenced for their crimes.

Bruce had warned him before letting him see that the pictures would be hard to look at. He remembered Dick’s audible gasp when they came on screen, the way Tim had gone rigid with held back emotion. Damian had only been able to stare, rage and sadness boiling beneath his skin.

Even now the images flash through his mind like lightning strikes. The blue gloved hand of a doctor or nurse tilting up Colin’s chin, the bruises around his neck in the clear shape of a hand. The shot of his side, ribs visible despite being covered in dark, angry looking bruises and what looked like the shape of a boot on his shoulder. The worst by far though was the one of his face. Someone had held back his ginger fringe to show off a swollen black eye, with his upper lip on the same side split. It wasn’t the injuries that haunted Damian, but his eyes. They’d been black in color back then, but his expression was empty, staring toward the camera as if not seeing anything at all. Damian hadn’t seen a child with that look on their face outside of the cape and mask job. Trafficking victims, murder witnesses, the brainwashed...the fact that someone had brought that look to Colin’s face…

Damian remembered how Bruce told him not to tell Colin that they knew what had happened to him. One day Colin would be ready to tell them. But he was glad to know this now, because if Colin had told him when he wasn’t prepared he might have exploded with rage. Colin didn’t need to see that.

“Were they...unkind to you, Colin?” he asked quietly.

There was a long pause. “Uh-huh…” Colin pulled his legs up to his chest on the desk chair. He turned so that his one side was resting against the chair back, knees against the chair arm. “A lot.”

Damian leaned back, staring up at the stalactites on the cave roof. “I am sorry, Beloved. That never should have happened. I would make them pay if I could.”

Colin lifted his head up, blinking in thought. “Beloved...?”

Damian sat up straight, his face warming. “What?” Was Colin calling him…?

“It’s what you said. Were you...is that a nickname? For me?” Without realizing it Colin had uncurled from his hunched posture. When there was only silence on the other end Colin looked at the phone in his hand. “Hello…?”

“It…” Damian sighed. His hand was covering his eyes, his elbow leaning on the chair arm. His ear tips were dark red. “It is a term of endearment...usually given by one soulmate to another.”

“Ohhhh.” Colin said, drawing out the sound a little. He let one leg dangle off the side of the chair, swinging it lazily back and forth. “So...you like me?”

Damian pulled his hand slowly down his face. “...we’re soulmates, Colin.”

“Yeah, and?” he answered playfully.

“You’re teasing me.”

“What was your first clue, Dames?”

It was Damian’s turn to blink in surprise. “Dames?” he asked, unsure that he heard him right.

“Sure. You gave me a nickname, and I gave you a nickname. We’re even stevens now.” A little grin appeared on his face. He was proud of himself for catching his serious soulmate off guard.

Damian muttered something in Arabic. “Colin.”

“Yep?”

“We only met each other today.”

“Uh-huh?”

“So we certainly are not at the point where we should be using terms of endearment or nicknames for each other. Not now, at any rate.”

“Sure, sure.”

“After all, we wouldn’t want to be improper.”

“No, of course not.”

Damian looked skeptically at the phone. He could hear Colin holding back laughter. “So we understand each other?”

“Well I understand that you got embarrassed because you called me Beloved on accident, and you don’t want to talk about it.”

“...”

“...wanna drop it for now?”

“...yes, I would like that, please.” he muttered.

Colin giggled, pressing his hand against his mouth to hold them in.

Without meaning to, Damian smiled at the sound. He let himself lounge in his father’s chair. “What am I to do with you?” he asked fondly.

The giggles petered off. “Well...is your offer to live at your house still good?”

Damian sat up straighter. “Of course it is, Colin. I had no intention of rescinding it.”

“Rescinding?” Colin repeated, sounding the word out.

“Taking the offer back. It still stands. The room is yours. Even if you choose not to live here it will still remain your room.”

“Really?”

“Of course. You will always have a place here, Father guarantees it. Grayson helped to prepare it. I do hope you’ll like it.”

Colin’s smile was soft as he hugged the phone to his ear. “What did you do? You sound like there’s some kind of surprise you aren’t telling me about.”

“Am I that obvious? Mm. You’ll just have to wait and see, won’t you?” Damian trailed his fingers along the edge of his chair. “I’m glad to hear you in better spirits, Colin…”

“You make me feel better. You’re really good at it.”

“Only for you.” he admitted softly.

“...”

“...Colin?”

“Yes, Damian?”

Damian pulled in a breath, sat up, and let it out in a huff. “I want you to live here. But...not because you’ve been backed into a corner. Money is something my family is fortunate enough to have, therefore I can visit as often as you would like. And you’ll be welcome to spend the night any time, or the day. Let me be clear, no matter where you choose to go, I intend to always be available to you.”

Pulling lightly at the phone cord, Colin tilted his head. “Always is a strong word, you know. Most people wouldn’t make those sorts of promises.”

Damian looked out at the Cave, seeing the others standing far enough away not to eavesdrop, but clearly milling around waiting for him to finish his phone call before leaving for patrol. “I’m not most people.”

“What,” Colin asked around a quiet yawn. “Are you Robin or something?”

“...do you think I could be?”

“After today, I think you could be anyone you wanted to be, Damian.”

“Yes, I suppose so.” Reaching into the pocket of his pants, he pulled out his cell phone. “Let me give you my number, then I should let you get to sleep.”

“Okay.” Colin sat the right way around in the desk chair, pulling on the desk until he turned to face it. “I’m ready, you can tell me.” He listened to Damian recite his cell number, his eyes closed. “I got it.”

“I didn’t hear you writing it down.”

“I’ll remember it. I’m good at remembering things, especially when they’re important.” He heard Damian make an amused sound. “So are just you and your dad coming over tomorrow?”

“And Grayson.” Damian rolled his eyes. “He insists on coming. I hope you don’t mind.”

“That’s okay with me, I think he’s nice.” Colin brought his hand up to his mouth as a sudden, louder yawn came out.

“Colin. I think it’s time for you to go to bed.”

“You sound like Sister Agnes…” he bit his lip. “Can I ask you one more question?”

“That was a question. But yes, you may.”

“...do you think it’s bad that I want them to miss me? The Sisters and the kids? I don’t want them to be sad, but if they don’t care that I’m leaving...I’ll be sad...” Colin lifted his head in surprise when he heard Damian chuckle.

“I’ve hardly known you for less than twenty-four hours, and yet I miss you terribly. They will miss you. You will miss them.” HIs brow furrowed a bit. “It is the saddest form of love…”

“...where did you learn that?”

“From my mother.”

“She must be really smart.”

“She can be.” He shook his head slightly when Colin yawned again. “No more stalling, off to bed.”

“But...don’t you want to know what I picked?”

“...are you absolutely sure of your answer?”

“...I think so?”

“Mm. I’ll wait, Colin. When you know for certain, I’ll be there either way.”

“Okay.” Colin smiled softly. “Good night, Damian.”

“Sleep well.”

Damian pulled the phone away from his ear, his thumb hovering over the “end call” button. It was still over it when Colin slowly set the handset into it’s cradle a few long moments later.

-----

The next morning Colin woke up in bed feeling like he got a good sleep. Talking to Damian last night made him feel so much better. When he was laying there looking at the ceiling he could still hear Damian’s voice saying, “Sleep well.” He bit his lip to hide his tiny smile.

Colin was glad yesterday didn’t seem like a dream. When he opened his eyes he knew he had a soulmate, and he missed him. It was all real. He decided to let himself be happy about it, this wonderful thing that happened to him. Maybe he didn’t deserve it, but Damian was his other half and he didn’t want to give him up.

He sat up and stretched, giving Rory a pat on the head. “Good morning, Rory.” Rory looked back at him with his stitched on smile, always happy to see him.

When Colin looked at the clock on his wall he nearly jumped out of bed in shock. “Eight forty three?! Why didn’t they wake me up?!” He hurried to make his bed, fixing the sheets and blankets. But he slowed down while fixing his pillow until he just stopped. ‘Why didn’t they wake me up?’ he wondered.

His door was left like usual, cracked open just a bit. When the kids woke up at seven, one or two of them would come running in and wake Colin up. That happened every morning. Was something wrong?

Walking to the door he pushed it open. No one was in the hall. When he peeked into the kids room the beds were empty and made. It was so quiet for morning time. But not silent. Listening more, he heard voices downstairs. He moved until he was standing at the top of them. That’s when he heard the kids in the kitchen, it sounded like they were having breakfast.

“I hope Collie’s feeling better.”

“Course he is! He gets to sleep in.”

“Yeah! ...how come?”

“Cause the Sisters said so, duh!”

“Yeah, cause they said!”

“Shhh! Be quiet! Colin’s still sleepin’!”

Colin had to cover his mouth to hold back his laughter. That wasn’t said so quietly. Then he heard Sister Rachel.

“Now, now. No bickering over breakfast. Colin will be up soon. And remember, we promised to be nice to him today. If he doesn’t want to play, then let him be.”

The kids chimed in at the end, repeating it like they’d memorized it. Their voices were happy, ready to be good boys and girls. And all for Colin’s sake. Colin brought up his hand to wipe the corners of his eyes. They were such good kids. He loved them all, and they loved him. They were going to miss him. Damian was right.

He looked at the door to Sister Agnes’ office, which was open. For where he was he couldn’t see the desk chair, but he remembered how it felt to sit in it, listening to Damian’s voice on the other end. No one was allowed to use the phone but the Sisters. When he pointed that out last night Sister Agnes had only said, “Sometimes we can make exceptions, if it’s for a good reason.”

So Colin was allowed to do something they weren’t usually supposed to do, and the others were letting him have the morning off to rest, and they would’ve left him alone today if that was what he wanted. ‘I was so dumb for thinking they wouldn’t miss me. I’m gonna miss them every day.’

Colin backed away from the top of the stairs, heading back to his room. A little while later, just before nine thirty, he looked up from what he was doing when Sister Agnes knocked on the door.

“Colin? May I come in?”

Colin smiled, loving that she always asked even when she knew the answer. “Yes.”

She stepped inside. “You’re already dressed...” Her voice trailed off, seeing what he’d been up to.

He stood up from the spot where he was kneeling next to his bed. His backpack, shoe box, and suitcase were on his bed. There wasn’t any clippings hanging on his wall anymore.

“It’s my choice.” Colin said, standing up straight, his worry about what he should do gone. “And I choose Damian.” After a second he felt his shoulders lift and a sheepish grin show up on his face. “That’s what I decided.”

Sister Agnes smiled affectionately at him before coming over to pull him into a strong hug that he returned just as tightly. “I’ll call the Waynes.”

-----

The pieces of his mushroom and vegetable omelet moved around the plate as Damian listlessly pushed them with his fork. His head rested in his hand, his elbow on the table. Since nine o’ clock he’d been awake and going about his morning routine. There still hadn’t been a call from St. Aden’s and it was ten after ten.

Damian was sitting to Father’s right at the table, Grayson and Drake to the man’s left. Drake was on his third cup of coffee, and Grayson was finishing his second helping. Father hardly looked up from his tablet when he reached for his own mug. Of course with hardly a glance he noticed the way Damian was sitting.

“Damian. Elbow off the table.”

“Yes, Father.” Damian said quietly, doing as he was told.

“And I expect that plate to be finished before you leave the table.” Pennyworth added as he walked into the room with a coffee pot in hand. The man bypassed Tim holding up his mug and went right to Father to fill his.

“Apologies, Pennyworth.” Damian held back a sigh and took another mouthful. It was excellent in taste, which was no surprise, but his appetite was simply gone. This had never happened to him before. Mother had taught him the value of making the most of every meal, because it was never assured that the next would come along as easily or freely. He always cleaned his plate.

Grayson looked at him across the table, lowering his napkin from wiping at his mouth. “You’re nervous about Colin, aren’t you?” The man’s face was sympathetic.

Damian noticed Drake looking at him from the corner of his eye, but ignored the stare. “After speaking with him last night I had...assumed we would hear from them this morning.”

“So that’s why you’re hiding your phone on your lap.” Drake commented around the rim of his mug.

“That is no business of yours.” Damian said while moving his phone to his pocket. Damn his perceptiveness!

Father sent a look around the table, which stopped any more comments before they could start. “We might not hear from them at all.” he began slowly, “Sister Agnes and I set up a visit for sometime this morning after ten. There wasn’t an exact time picked.”

“Then we could leave soon?” Damian asked hesitantly, disliking how hopeful his voice sounded. He noticed Grayson grinning at him and sent him a warning glare.

“We could,” Father agreed. “but it won’t be a very long visit. I’m sorry, Damian,” he said when he saw the look on his face, “but I think it’s best. If Colin has a foster family then he may not always be able to have visitors. You’ll have to get used to--”

At that moment the house phone rang. Pennyworth stepped out of the room to answer it and Damian’s eyes trailed after the man until Father’s reprimanding tone caught his attention.

“Damian.” Still, there was patience in Father’s eyes. “As I was saying, you’ll have to get used to spending some time apart. You have duties of your own that will take time away from Colin. Even soulmates can’t spend every moment together.”

“Yes, Father, I know.” Damian said, embarrassed at his overeagerness. He held back from saying that he believed with little doubt that he knew what Colin’s choice would be.

Pennyworth came back into the room, holding a hand over the receiver of the phone as he walked to Father’s side. “Master Bruce, Sister Agnes on the line for you.”

Damian sat up straighter in his seat. He watched as Father breathed out and then pulled on a “Brucie” smile as he took the phone in hand. Damian admired how easily his father slipped into character, even when not in person.

“Hello? Good morning to you as well, Sister Agnes! How are you? Wonderful, and the children? That’s great!”

Without meaning to, Damian fidgeted in his seat. He hated the action as soon as he did it, but he couldn’t help himself. ‘What about Colin?’ he thought impatiently.

“Mhm. Mhm...well I’m glad to hear that.” Damian perked up. “I’d hoped you’d be contacted about the funds soon. Have you made any arrangements yet?” Damian frowned. He almost drummed his fingers on the table but stopped himself. “Oh yes, I bet the kids will love that!”

After another minute Damian couldn’t wait anymore and quietly cleared his throat.

Father looked over at him, his mouth quirking. “Alright, I think I’ve made Damian wait long enough. He’s about to claw the phone out of my hand.”

Damian rolled his eyes as Father laughed. “Brucie” liked to tease them in front of others. It was usually annoying, but at that moment it was almost insufferable.

“How is Colin this morning?” Damian listened intently. “Yes, I bet that would be hard to hear.” Damian nearly felt his heart drop but held back from feeling disappointed just yet. “Oh? Oh really? Yes. Yes of course, Sister Agnes. I’ll make all of the arrangements, you just tell me where to sign and the lawyers will handle the rest. Yes, we’ll be there in an hour, at most, probably sooner. We’ll see you soon. Goodbye!”

When Father ended the call with the press of a button his face fell back into his natural demeanor. He handed the phone to Alfred and for the next moment the room was totally quiet.

Swallowing, Damian asked quietly, “Well...?”

Father looked at him, made him wait half a second longer, then a small smile appeared on his face. “Colin’s coming to live with us.”

Damian’s mouth fell open, he audibly gasped. Then out of pure elation he did something he rarely ever did. He pumped both fists into the air, threw back his head, and cried out in triumph, “YES!”

Grayson laughed at the display but Damian didn’t care. Father and Pennyworth exchanged amused looks. Drake blinked once, before looking into his mug.

“Oh sure,” he muttered, “let him have his cake and eat it, too.”

“Oh can it, Drake,” Damian said around the grin that stubbornly hung onto his face, “I don’t have time for you right now. I have to go pick up my soulmate!”

He then proceeded to shovel what was left on his plate into his mouth despite Pennyworth’s splutter of indignation at the act.

Chapter 6

Chapter Text

It was nice to hear the kids playing with Dick in the playroom. Where Colin and Damian were sitting halfway up the stairs they could see past the entryway. Dick was going between pretending to be a monster for the kids to fight and giving more piggyback rides. He was really good with kids, but maybe that was because he was letting them tell him what to do without complaining. Not a lot of grown ups would do that.

Colin smiled and turned to Damian when he felt the other boy squeeze his hand. He’d been holding it since he’d come through the front door, and Colin hadn’t minded one bit.

After Sister Agnes called Mr. Wayne, she and he went into the playroom and had told the kids that Colin was moving in with the Waynes. It had been nice and yet sad to see the kids be so happy for him. There’d been hugs and tears, and Colin had given each one a big super hug as he told them goodbye. And of course he did the same for the Sisters, too. Then all there’d been left to do was bring Colin’s things downstairs and wait. The kids had taken on the solemn duty of watching the windows, pointing out every car that drove by. When the Wayne’s car had finally stopped in front of the gate Colin couldn’t help running to the front door and pulling it open.

He couldn’t explain the flips his belly did when he saw Damian throwing open the back door of the car before the driver even stopped. His soulmate had pushed through the front gate, ignoring the policemen on either side of it, and jogged up the path. Damian jumped the three steps to the door until he was just in front of Colin, looking at him like he was the most important thing in the world.

“Hi.” Colin said, somehow out of breath even though he hadn’t been the one running.

Damian’s smile was light, and his voice was soft. “Hello, Colin.”

Colin ignored the group “aw” the kids said when Damian held his hand and walked inside, and thankfully Damian didn’t say anything about it either. Or about how he was blushing and smiling like a dummy. Mr. Wayne and Mr. Grayson followed them in, and Colin was reminded again to call the younger man Dick which he tried to remember to do from now on.

Now they were here. Dick keeping the kids busy while Damian’s dad signed the paperwork for Colin in the office. It was happening.

“Your pulse is racing.” Damian commented. Colin had hardly noticed the fingers of Damian’s other hand resting against his wrist. He was so gentle.

“I guess I’m just nervous. Or excited. Maybe both.” he shrugged.

Damian frowned lightly, his brow furrowing. “If you’re unsure--”

“But I’m not. Really.” Colin scooted himself a little closer to Damian on the step they shared. “I know I want to live with you. I just...Damian can you promise me some things?”

His blue eyes looked at him, taking him seriously. “I will try.” Colin appreciated the honesty, if it were him he might not promise without hearing what it was first, either.

“If I start to be any trouble--no listen!” he saw Damian’s mouth start to open and hurried before he could say anything, “You gotta tell me if I’m doing something wrong. I know you guys will probably have rules for your house, and I’ll follow them, but I won’t know if I’m making anyone mad if they won’t talk to me. So I need you to help me with this kind of stuff, okay?”

Damian seemed to think for a second before nodding. “You’re a respectful person, Colin. I can tell. I doubt you’ll do anything to upset the others. But I will help you. Always. You only need to ask.”

“Thanks…” Colin bit his lip. “One more thing?”

Damian listened, his head tilting a little.

“Don’t...don’t hit me if you get mad.”

Damian sat up straight, looking shocked. “I would never.”

Colin hunched his shoulders. “I know you wouldn’t, Damian. Deep down, I know. It’s just...I’ve gone to new houses before and everything starts out fine--”

“No one should be hitting you, Colin. That will not happen, not if I’m there to stop it.”

He looked at Damian through his bangs, realizing something. “Did..did you know my foster parents used to hit me?”

Damian almost had a guilty expression, but didn’t look away from him. “I suspected...but now you’ve told me.”

Colin felt guilty, too. “People treat me different. When they find out. That’s why I didn’t want you to know...I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Damian hesitated, but reached to put an arm around his shoulders. “Now that I know, I won’t let it happen again. Neither will Father, Grayson, Pennyworth, or Drake. Things will be different now, Colin. Better. I swear.”

‘He really is amazing.’ Colin thought. He still just couldn’t believe his soulmate was so...good. “Why are you so nice to me, Damian?” he asked, curious, “And don’t say it’s cause we’re soulmates. That’s the obvious part.”

He was surprised to see Damian’s cheeks turn a little red as the other boy looked away from him. He felt his shoulder get patted by Damian’s hand before he pulled his arm away. “Perhaps,” he said, slowly, “you were not entirely offbase when you asked if I liked you last night.”

Colin stared at him for a few seconds, then smiled so hard he thought his cheeks might pop. He didn’t really understand why, but hearing Damian say that made him feel really, really happy. He couldn’t help but keep looking at him when he blushed and wouldn’t meet his eyes.

“It’s okay if you feel shy sometimes...I do, too.” Pulling on the edge of his t-shirt, Colin gently bumped his knee against Damian’s. He wondered if Damian would say something, but when Damian’s black jeans covered knee bumped his olive green pants covered knee it was like he answered without saying anything. That was enough for Colin.

They both looked up when they heard the office door open. Mr. Wayne walked out first, followed by Sister Agnes. He saw them shake hands, even though her other hand was holding her handkerchief. Colin wondered if she’d been crying again and tried to push away the feeling of guilt that he’d made her cry so much in two days.

She looked up, saw them sitting there and smiled her warm and gentle smile. “There they are.”

Mr. Wayne turned and held up one of those vanilla folders. “It’s official, boys. Colin, you’re one of us, now.”

“One of us, one of us...”

Colin had to hide his giggles behind his hands when Dick poked his head out the playroom door and talked in a silly voice.

“Grayson!”

“Dick.”

That only made Colin giggle harder. Damian stood up so he could glare at Dick with his hands on his hips, and Mr. Wayne did almost the same thing, except he had only one free hand.

“Sorry. I can’t help myself.” Dick walked out into the hall, the kids hovering in the doorway behind him. He walked up to the stairs and held out his hand to Colin. “Welcome to the family, Bud.”

Smiling shyly, Colin reached through the railing and took Dick’s hand. “Thank you.” he said, meaning it. “It means a lot.”

Sister Rachel turned to the kids, looking like she might cry, too. “Let’s all clap for Colin. It’s his “going home” day.” She clapped and the kids joined in, cheering and jumping around.

Colin knew he was blushing but he didn’t care. He grinned down at them, letting himself feel really deep down happy. Damian tapped his shoulder to get his attention, then offered him a hand to help him stand. Together they walked down the stairs until they were face to face with everyone. “Thanks, everybody.” Colin looked at each kid and then each Sister. “You’ve always been so nice to me, and made me feel at home. Even though I’m going away, I won’t ever forget you. Ever.”

There were a few sniffles and some little hands wiped at eyes and cheeks. “We’ll miss you.” Tyler said, clinging to Sister Carrie’s hand.

“I’ll miss you, too.” his throat felt a little tight. “I’ll come visit soon.” He looked up at Mr. Wayne. “Soon, right?”

“As soon as possible.” he agreed, smiling a lot like the way Damian did. He looked at Sister Agnes. “Next week?”

“Of course! You can come visit anytime you like, boys. We’re always happy to have you.” She gave Damian the same smile she gave Colin, and he even let her affectionately pat his cheek.

“I look forward to it.” Damian told her seriously.

“So do I.” Reaching into her habit she pulled out a small box of band-aids and held it out to Colin. “For you, dear. In case you need them.” She looked at his hand.

Colin couldn’t help blinking in surprise. He hadn’t really been thinking about it when he went to the bathroom a little while ago and put a band-aid on his little finger. He didn’t tell the Sisters when he started doing it to help himself feel better. He was afraid they’d worry, or maybe think he was weird. But of course she knew.

He let her set the box into his hands, smiling up at her. “These’ll be a big help. Thank you.” The box was the perfect size for his pants pocket, and it felt right to put them there.

“I think it’s time we head home, boys.” Mr. Wayne put a hand on Colin’s shoulder. “Are you ready?”

Colin looked up at him and nodded his head with confidence. “I’m ready.”

“So am I.” Damian picked up Colin’s shoebox. “I’ll help carry your things.”

“Me too.” Dick picked up his backpack and suitcase, and Colin almost felt bad that he had nothing to carry.

At least until he saw Mr. Wayne holding out his hand to him. Colin waited a second to see if he was sure, then shyly put his hand in the man’s bigger one. It was still as warm and as strong as it was when he shook Colin’s hand yesterday. It made Colin feel small, but in a good way. Like he was protected. With Damian holding his other hand there was someone on both sides who were going to look after him from now on.

They walked side by side out St. Aden’s front door, with Dick leading the way. Walking off the bottom step made Colin feel like he was leaving something behind. It made him stop halfway on the path to the gate, both of the Waynes stopping with him.

“I…” Colin looked at both of them. Then he looked back over his shoulder.

Sister Agnes was standing at the bottom of the stairs. Her hands were squeezing her handkerchief. She was smiling even though a tear dripped down her cheek.

“Just a sec…” Colin let their hands go without looking at them. He didn’t mean to run, it was just what his feet wanted to do when he hurried back to Sister Agnes and threw his arms around her, hugging tightly. She squeezed him to her, pressing a kiss into his hair. Colin let out one tear, but only one. His throat felt so tight, but he had to tell her. “I love you…”

Her voice was happy even though she was crying. “I love you, too.” She pet his hair one more time before pulling back, then took her handkerchief and wiped his eyes gently. Her hands were warm when she cupped his face in them. “Be happy. Okay?”

And Colin smiled. “I will. Goodbye, Sister Agnes.”

“Goodbye, Colin.”

Sister Agnes always made him feel better, stronger, braver. So he was able to walk away from her, and turn back to Damian and Mr. Wayne who had waited for him, patiently. Colin waved at her over his shoulder, then grabbed each of their hands again. “Okay, I’m really ready.”

On the other side of the gate was their car, even though it looked like a small limo to Colin. Dick was at the back, with the trunk open, and standing next to the back door was a tall older man. He was standing with his hands behind his back, there was an older looking hat on his head, a thin moustache over his lip, and he was wearing a long coat even though it was summer.

“Colin,” Mr. Wayne said, “I’d like to introduce you to Alfred Pennyworth. He took care of me when I was younger than you and Damian. He helps me take care of Wayne Manor and keeps us all in order. He’s a very dear friend of mine, so I want you to know that if you need anything you can trust him to help you.”

“Indeed. Please, call me Alfred. It is a pleasure to meet you, Master Colin.” He held his hand out for Colin to shake, and he noticed the man was wearing thin white gloves.

“Nice to meet you, too.” Colin let go of Damian so he could shake his hand. “But you can just call me Colin.”

Dick laughed. “Good luck, Colin. We’ve all tried to tell him that. Hey Little D, come put Colin’s stuff in the trunk.”

Colin looked back at Alfred while Damian did that. He titled his head at the older man. “Why not?”

Alfred’s face didn’t change much, but Colin saw the way his moustache lifted as he smiled softly. “As the head butler of Wayne Manor it is proper to refer to the members of the Wayne family by title. As you are now a member of the family, I believe “Master Colin” would be appropriate, don’t you?”

“Oh.” A butler. Surprisingly, Colin wasn’t surprised. The Waynes were rich enough to have one. Colin knew that. “Yeah, okay. If you say so. I’m fine with anything.”

“Very good, young sir.”

Mr. Wayne held out his hand as Alfred handed him a cell phone. “Any messages?”

“Just one from Mr. Fox to let you know he has things handled for the next few days.”

Colin recognized grown up talk when he heard it, and tuned it out. He was sure they’d be done soon, anyway. Since he knew he wouldn’t be looking out his bedroom window again any time soon he looked around at the street and up at the buildings. He’d miss watching the roofs at night to see if anyone was out there.

That’s when he noticed the guy on the roof. Not right across the street, but one street back there was an apartment building, nine floors high. On top there were these fan things, probably for the air conditioning. Leaning against one was some guy.

Colin squinted his eyes. He couldn’t really tell what he looked like, just that he had dark hair. Whoever he was, he shouldn’t be up there. He remembered one time some kids had come out through the stairwell to run around on the roof and a grown up had come out and yelled at them for being up there. You could hear how mad they’d been from St. Aden’s.

The guy stood up and walked closer to the edge. He even put his foot up on the ledge, something Colin knew wasn’t safe at all. It almost looked like he was looking at--

“Colin?”

The redhead nearly jumped, turning to Damian and Dick who were now standing next to him, Mr. Wayne, and Alfred. “Huh?”

“We’re all set to go, we’ll be home before you know it.” Dick smiled big. “You’ll love it.”

Colin smiled, too. “I bet it’s great!”

Dick stepped back so Alfred could open the back door. “If you think you’ve seen a lot of gargoyles around here,” he waved his hand at the top of the buildings, “just wait til you see the main house. Gargoyle central.” He laughed at his own joke while getting in the car.

“That’s okay, I like gargoyles!” Colin said, and he did. Lots of kids thought they were creepy and told stories about how they came to life and tried to eat people. Colin never believed them, but they always made him feel like someone was watching him. Sometimes that was comforting.

Before Colin or Damian could follow Dick into the car, Mr. Wayne got in first.

“Father?” Damian asked, looking confused.

“I think it would be best if Colin got in last.” The man said, sharing a look with Alfred who was standing by to close the door after them.

“Yes, come along, young sirs. Come, come.” Alfred shooed them into the car, first Damian then him. “They’re waiting for you.”

“Who’s waiting?” Colin asked curiously, taking the hand Damian offered to help him in. When they were both sitting the door closed behind them. It was a bit dark inside, probably because the windows were tinted. After a few seconds the one next to Colin rolled down after Mr. Wayne reached over them to press a button on the door handle.

“Looks like they wanted to give you a little send off.” He nodded at the open window before moving back so Colin could look out.

“Oh.” Colin couldn’t help the sound he made. He got up onto his knees so he could get a better look, almost not noticing Damian’s hand on his shoulder as he mimicked him so he could see too.

They were all standing around the open gate. The three Sisters held up a big paper sign between them, the kids standing in front of them and pointing up at it. “Goodbye, Colin” was written in fancy letters. It was probably Sister Rachel who did it, because she talked about how she did a lot of artsy things before joining the Sisterhood. But the kids were the ones who colored them in and drew little pictures all over it. There were a couple stick figures that had orange and black squiggles for hair. Colin guessed they were supposed to be him and Damian. It was just...so cute.

When they saw he was looking they started to wave, calling out goodbyes.

“Bye-bye!”

“I’ll miss you!”

“Good luck!”

“Don’t forget us!”

“I’ll call you when I get to my new house!” That was Shannon, she was on the right, holding on to Tyler who would’ve fell over from how hard he was waving.

Colin leaned out the window and waved. “Goodbye everyone!” Even when the car turned on and slowly started moving away he still waved. “Bye, Shannon! Bye Kasey, bye Ethan, bye Rosita, bye Luke, bye Mason, bye Janie, bye Tyler! Thanks for everything! Bye!”

When St. Aden’s was far enough behind them the car started going normal speed. Even though he wanted to keep watching until he couldn’t see it at all, he let Damian gently pull him back into his seat and roll up the window. For a minute he just sat, looking forward and smiling. Just letting himself feel happy. Then he looked at Damian, who was watching him carefully.

“Are you alright, Colin?”

“Yeah.” And he meant it. “I really needed that.” Then he blinked in surprise. “Dick, are you okay?”

The man’s lower lip was wobbling through his smile, and he kept wiping away the tears from his eyes. “It was just like the movies. The sign and the waving goodbye as the car pulled away...gosh that really got to me.” He covered his face with his hands and cleared his throat. “Ugh I’m such a sap.”

“But you’re our sap.” Mr. Wayne said, ruffling Dick’s hair like he was still a kid.

“Forgive this shameless display, Colin.” Damian rolled his eyes, but fondly. “I’m afraid you will have to get used to it, though.”

“Actually, I think it’s kinda sweet.” Colin admitted, feeling shy when Dick smiled at him.

“I like you more and more every time I see you, Colin. You’re going to fit right in.”

“You think so?” He asked hopefully, looking at all three of them.

“Of course.” Mr. Wayne smiled. “There’s a future to look forward to, and you’re very much a part of it. What you make of it is up to you.”

“Yeah. Yeah! It is up to me. You’re right!”

“Father usually is.” Damian agreed, a small smirk on his face.

“That settles it then.” Dick puffed out his chest and pointed to the front of the car. “Onward, we go. To Wayne Manor!” He leaned over to press one of the many buttons under the big tinted window. “Did you catch that, Al?”

Colin could see the outline of Alfred when it looked like he pressed a button on his side. “Indeed, Master Dick. Please fasten your seatbelts, gentlemen. We shall be arriving home within the hour.”

“Alright!” Dick fist pumped. “I’ll turn on the travel tunes!” He pressed buttons and turned knobs until music started playing. Colin guessed that was the radio.

He looked around him, his hand feeling for a buckle but not finding one. “Um...how am I gonna put on a seatbelt if there isn’t a seatbelt...?”

“Pennyworth was merely being rhetorical, Colin. He would never get into an accident, therefore there’s no need for them. At least not in a town car.”

Colin wasn’t sure that was very safe, but before he could say that Mr. Wayne said, “Alfred is the safest, smartest driver I know. Aside from myself.”

Damian looked up at his dad, one eyebrow higher than the other. “I thought you said arrogance was unbecoming?”

Mr. Wayne shrugged. “It’s not arrogance if it’s true.” Colin thought the little smirk on his face was kind of playful.

Before Damian could say anything his head whipped around to Dick. “Grayson!”

Dick quickly turned a knob and changed the music. The first little bit of a song had been playing, and Dick had been biting his tongue between his teeth so he wouldn’t laugh when he was watching Damian’s face. “I didn’t do anything.” But the way he said it sounded like he did do something and he knew it.

“What, do you have the infernal song on a CD or something?” Damian’s cheeks were a little red. Colin wondered if he was really mad or…

“Wait,” Colin asked, “what song was it?”

“It was nothing!” Damian answered, way too fast. “GRAYSON!”

Dick switched the radio back to that song, the grin on his face almost a little evil.

“Turn it off!”

It only took a few seconds for Colin to recognize it. “Oh, I know this song. I like it, it’s nice. Why, what’s wrong with it?”

Damian’s head whipped around to look at him in surprise. A sound came out of his mouth before he snapped it closed. His cheeks were redder than they were before.

“That’s the final verdict, Colin said he liked it.” Dick said in a singsong voice before cranking up the sound.

“Dick, not so loud. We don’t want to bother the other cars.” Mr. Wayne didn’t look too bothered. He was resting his elbow by the window, and if Colin wasn’t wrong he was holding back a bigger smile.

Damian groaned and put his head in his hands.

“I-I’m sorry Damian, but I do like the song…” Colin said, not sure if he did anything wrong.

“Do not be sorry, Colin. It isn’t your fault.” He looked up to glare at Dick.

The young man snickered, his face full of mischief. Maybe he wasn’t as nice as Colin thought.

-----

A street over from St. Aden’s Home for Children there was a car. Black, four doors, with windows tinted so much it had to be illegal. When the Wayne’s town car pulled away from St. Aden’s the black car also started moving. Street after street, through the Narrows and Gotham Village, they shadowed the fancy car from a distance.

Two people were in the black car, in the front and passenger seats. They watched the town car like hawks, never losing sight of it as they moved fluidly through traffic.

“...we should’ve snatched him when they came out of the building.” said the one in the passenger seat.

“Don’t be stupid.” The driver was calm, but disapproving. “The kid was surrounded. And there were cops at the end of every street. We wouldn’t have got two feet.”

The passenger scoffed. “I don’t know how they expect us to grab him then. When the Wayne’s get him into that manor he ain’t coming back out without an armored tank as a bodyguard. They aren’t stupid.”

“We’ll do what we were told to do. Watch and wait. Unless the others get to him first.”

“Yeah well, they don’t seem like the patient type. How long do we have to wait?”

“Until we’re told not to. The money’s worth the headache.”

The car went silent for the next ten minutes. They followed more carefully in Crest Hill, which was a better neighborhood. If they weren’t careful they’d get spotted easily.

The driver shifted in their seat. “What do you think they’ll do to the kid? I mean, considering who’s after him--”

“You know what? I don’t want to know. It isn’t my fault that the kid’s one of the Waynes. If the crazies want to put bounties on him, it’s not my problem. He better be a good runner, that’s all I’m gonna say.”

“Yeah. There’s more people after him than Gordon has clean cops.” The driver sighed. “Good luck, kid.”

In the passenger’s hand was a phone. On screen was a website listing. There was a picture of a ginger haired ten year old with a money amount that kept creeping higher and higher with each second. In the next minute, the number reached six figures.

Chapter 7

Chapter Text

Wayne Manor was on a private road in a gated community. To get into the neighborhood someone either had to be a resident or guest, and their identification would be checked at one of three guard booths leading into the area. When their town car had passed through with a congratulations from the guard on duty for their family’s new member, it occurred to Damian that there was no way Colin would have ever been to this area before.

“This is your first time in Bristol County, isn’t it?” Damian asked, watching Colin watch the view go by.

“This is my first time leaving the city! Ever!” Colin gave him a bright grin before returning his attention to the window. “I’ve never seen so many trees before! They’re not like the park ones. They look greener somehow.”

“It’s because they actually get fresh air out here. Not being around smog will do that.” Grayson chirped, looking up from his phone where he’d been texting someone. If Damian had to guess it was mostly likely every member of the family that wasn’t currently present.

“You’ve never left Gotham City before?” Father seemed surprised.

“Well…” Colin turned away from the window to meet his gaze. “There was this one time we were supposed to take a field trip to Metropolis. I was in second grade, and my class raised the most money in the fundraiser so we won the trip. We were gonna go to some museum.”

Damian raised a brow. “You didn’t get to go on that trip?”

“I mean I did go. But the Penguin had set up bombs on the Trigate Bridge that day. We were stuck on the Gotham side when traffic stopped. By the time he got caught it was already too late to go. The trip was cancelled.” Colin pouted at the memory. “That really stunk. But I saw Batman’s plane flying toward the bridge! That was really, really cool!” That grin was back in place, making the freckles on his cheeks move closer to his eyes.

Charming as that was, Damian was bothered. “Why didn’t they reschedule the trip?”

Colin shrugged.

“That isn’t fair. You and your classmates worked hard to earn it and then they didn’t even ensure that you got your reward.”

“Damian.” Colin spoke softly, placing his hand over Damian’s on the seat between them. “It was just a museum trip. I’ll get other chances to go. Everyone got home safely that day. That’s what matters.”

Those deep forest green eyes were so sincere as he spoke. Colin truly meant what he was saying. And what a judicious answer for someone his age! If it were any other child they might still be bitter about their disappointment. Their world view was so small, usually only thinking of things as it affects them. It wouldn’t have been the first time a child was ungrateful for the help Batman and Robin had given them when they were in danger. Damian still wasn’t over the first time some obnoxious whelp had accused him of “ruining their fun”. Colin was far more pragmatic and sensible. It was wonderfully refreshing.

“Of course, Colin. However, I shall take you to the museum. That oversight will be corrected. I’ll see to it personally.”

Colin giggled. “Okay, Damian. That sounds nice.”

Damian smiled. Which was a foolish thing to be caught doing when Grayson’s phone flashed a light and a shutter sound could be heard. Colin blushed at the same time Damian glared.

“D-Did you just take a picture of us?” Colin stammered.

“I couldn’t help myself! You two are just the cutest!”

“Dick…” there was a warning in Father’s voice. “We talked about this.”

“I was just starting Colin’s album! Everyone in the family has one!”

“And next time you will ask before taking someone’s picture. That’s only polite.” Father gestured with his head to Colin. Grayson’s smile immediately deflated when he saw the uncomfortable look on his face.

Grayson fiddled with his phone, looking sheepish and giving Colin an apologetic look. “Sorry...I get overexcited. I promise I’ll ask next time.” He quickly added. “And you don’t have to say yes.”

Colin seemed unsure for a moment, but then he smiled. “That’s okay, Dick. I accept your apology.”

Grayson beamed.

Father pointed to the window. “You can see the gate coming up. This is the start of the property.”

Colin moved to look out the window again, hands resting on the door. Damian was reminded of the time that he first came to Wayne manor. Of course that was a very different experience. He had entered the grounds through the Cave, and had experienced seeing the manor from the outside in. For Colin it would be the opposite, and it would be interesting to see his now familiar home through new eyes.

Pennyworth pulled the car up to the main gate, rolling down his window to input the passcode on the speaker box.

“Psst.” Colin looked at Grayson as the man pointed to the fancy, curling W on the gate. “The W stands for watermelon.”

Colin snorted. “No it doesn’t. It’s for Wayne. Nice try, though.”

Grayson snapped his fingers. “Darn. Can’t fool you can I? Saw right through me.”

“Like it was hard.” Colin teased.

When Grayson smiled Damian could visibly see how the man relaxed. He knew that he appreciated Colin accepting his attempt to lighten the mood. Grayson absolutely hated to make anyone unhappy. It went against his very nature. Grayson’s were born to make people smile, or at least that was what he had told Damian after he had moved in and then he’d tried his damndest to strike up a camaraderie between them. Even though now the man still got on his nerves there was a deep fondness for Father’s eldest that he could never let go of.

Glancing at Father showed that he had also seen what had passed between Colin and Grayson and was pleased as well. Damian certainly wasn’t the only one fond of Grayson.

The gate slid to a smooth shut behind them and they began to pull away from it, on the road to the manor at last.

“Mr. Wayne?”

“Yes, Colin?”

“The bars on the gate are kinda far apart. Aren’t you worried about someone sneaking in?”

“They’re smaller than they look.” Grayson said, smirking in Damian’s direction. “Not even Little D here could get through.”

Damian rolled his eyes. “I would not have attempted it if there weren’t sensors on top of the walls. If there was an opening it was better to know.”

“Sensors?” Colin asked, head tilted.

“Yes.” Father sat forward. “I don’t want you to worry about safety Colin, so I’ll fill you in. The sensors send an alarm to the house if someone tries to climb over the walls. There’s also a camera on the speakerbox, and you can only open the gate if you know the password or if you buzz in and have someone let you in. We do everything we can to keep the manor safe.”

Colin seemed to think for a second before nodding. “Okay. Thanks for telling me, I was kinda worried. The reporters yesterday were…”

Father raised an eyebrow. “Intense.”

“Sure, we’ll use that word.” Colin smirked good naturedly.

That earned him a chuckle. “If a reporter thinks they can sneak onto the property they’ll find out how wrong they are soon enough. No one gets away with messing with my family.”

“And that is no idle threat, I’ll have you know.” Damian’s chest puffed out a bit in pride. “Father is a force to be reckoned with.”

“I believe you. I bet even Batman wouldn’t mess with you guys.”

When Colin looked out the window again Damian, Father, and Grayson all shared a meaningful look.

-----

Colin was surprised that it took a few more minutes of driving to get from the gate to the front door. But the lawn, or he guessed they were called “grounds”, of Wayne Manor were beautiful. The road was some kind of stone, looking like bricks but gray, and very different from the concrete he was used to. The lawn looked like somebody mowed it, but it was so big that maybe a few people had to work together to get it done. There were flowers, bushes, a few trees, but not too many. It was all very clean and proper. But there was something else, something he couldn’t put his finger on. He thought maybe it was kind of simple. Not anything fancy about it, or at least not what most people would think was fancy. Almost like the Waynes were trying to fit in, but not stand out.

But that’s just silly to think. After all, it’s the Waynes. They always stood out anyway.

“You can see the Manor now. Here, let me.” Damian reached over to push the button that rolled down the window. “We’re home.”

When he stuck his head out the window Colin actually gasped out loud. “Oh, wow.”

He didn’t think the pictures he saw online that said they were Wayne manor were real. He didn’t think real, actual people lived in places like this. That was just in movies and stories. But the pictures, this place, were real. Wayne Manor looked like a castle, and not just because of the size. It had a kind of square look that castles did, there were even pointed parts on the roof that reminded him of towers. The building was light gray and the roof was dark gray but somehow it looked good together. Really classy, or at least, Colin thought so. It took him a minute to find the gargoyles, because he thought they’d be bigger and stick out more. They were actually small, and they blended into the roof and corners of the house pretty well.

“You were right about the gargoyles.” He pulled his head back in, seeing how the Waynes were watching him. “What?”

“Aw, don’t worry Colin. We’re just having a moment. It’s not every day this guy gets to bring a new baby home. Even though he’d like to.” Dick was grinning at Mr. Wayne, elbowing him over and over again.

Colin was surprised when, faster than he could blink, Mr. Wayne’s arm reached out and grabbed Dick around the neck, pulling him against his chest. Colin had to hold in his laughter when Mr. Wayne noogied him. Was this real?

“Gah! Bruuuuce!”

“The kids like to tease me because I’ve adopted so many over the years.” Mr. Wayne didn’t seem bothered at all that Dick was pushing at his arm, trying to get him to let go. “They forget of course that the main reason they’re here to tease me at all is because I adopted them in the first place.” Each time he rubbed a certain word in he also rubbed his knuckles a little harder.

“Okay okay okay okay! I give! Uncle!” Dick laughed as he was let go. “You haven’t done that in years.”

“Haven’t had a chance to.” It looked like without thinking about it, Mr. Wayne reached up to fix Dick’s hair. The hair he messed up in the first place. It was a nice moment, and it made Colin feel funny inside. But a good kind of funny.

The car pulled to a smooth stop, Colin only noticed because nothing was moving outside the window anymore. They were here. Finally, for real. He swallowed nervously. ‘It’s just a house. A really big house. But it’s just a house.’

Alfred had got out and came around to the door. When he opened it he offered Colin a kind smile. “Welcome home, Master Colin.” He waved a hand out toward the house.

Hesitating a little, Colin slowly scooted until his legs were dangling out the door. He took a breath and hopped down onto the bottom of a set of low sloping stairs that lead to the front door. He took one, then another step forward. Then he looked up. And up, and up, until his nose was almost straight up in the air. Gosh, Wayne Manor was so tall.

He heard a chuckle before he felt a hand against the back of his head. Almost like someone was trying to stop him before he fell over.

“We’ve got another one who did it, Al. What number are we on?”

“I believe four, Sir.”

Colin turned, seeing the two older men sharing a smile. He felt embarrassed, he didn’t mean to get caught up in staring. “S-Sorry…”

“No need to be sorry.” Mr. Wayne helped him stand up straight again. “You just reminded me of when I brought the other kids home for the first time. Dick did the same thing. Jason and Cass did, as well. Made me feel a bit nostalgic, that’s all.”

Colin almost said something. Something he probably shouldn’t say. He was just surprised to hear Mr. Wayne mention Jason Todd. No one talked about Jason Todd. At least, not online. It was one of the saddest stories Colin had ever heard, back when he was a really little kid. Jason Todd was an orphan, just like Colin. He was even from the Narrows, too. And he got adopted by Bruce Wayne. He got a chance to have a better life, to get all the things kids like Colin didn’t get. But then one day, he died. Everyone in Gotham talked about it when it happened five years ago. Mr. Wayne and Jason had traveled out of the country, something terrible had happened, and Jason was dead. Colin had heard all kinds of stories about what killed him, mostly scary and made up ones that kids tell each other. But when he looked up the Waynes a few days ago to prepare for the party, he found out that Jason died in a violent car crash. He was only fifteen.

Looking at Mr. Wayne, Colin was glad that he was able to talk about Jason now. It was five years ago, but even if it was sad to remember him that doesn’t mean he should be forgotten about. Coilin hoped people would still talk about him if he died.

So he just said, “Who’s Cass?”

“My sister.” Damian joined them. “Father took her in a few years ago. She’s out of the country right now, but Cassandra sends her apologies that she couldn’t be here to meet you. She would like to have a video call with us later today, when it would be morning for her. Would that be alright with you?”

“Sure!” Colin agreed. But he was surprised, because he hadn’t heard of Cass when he looked up the Waynes. “I’d like to meet your sister.”

Damian raised a brow. “If you’re sure.” He looked at his dad and said very seriously, “She threatened me with bodily harm if I didn’t introduce her to Colin.”

Mr. Wayne made a sound between a laugh and a sigh. “Yes, that sounds like Cass. You know she doesn’t mean that seriously, she’s just excited. I’ll talk to her.”

“You should also inform her that if she were to fight me, I would win and she would lose.”

Colin pushed his lips together, trying not to smile too much. He liked how confident Damian sounded, even if he didn’t know who would win in that fight. It reminded him of arguing with the kids at school about which superhero would win in a fight against the other. With the right answer being no one because superheroes don’t fight each other. Obviously.

“Well we won’t be finding out, will we?” Mr. Wayne raised his eyebrows.

“I suppose not.” Damian leaned close to Colin’s ear when his dad wasn’t looking. “At least, not at this moment. But I would win.”

“I believe you.” Colin whispered back, holding in a giggle.

Damian looked very pleased.

“Okay you two,” Dick hurried to the front door, “Alfred’s parking the car--”

Colin looked over his shoulder. Alfred and the car were both gone, and he hadn’t even heard them leave!

“--so I was hoping I could get a video of Colin coming in the front door?” Dick held his phone up, turning puppy dog eyes on Colin. “What do you say?”

In the car, when Dick took his and Damian’s picture, it made Colin remember another time a grown up had taken his picture. Memories of that awful day almost filled up Colin’s head and made him feel terrible all over again. But he pushed those memories away. It was easier to do when Dick had said sorry and looked like he felt so bad about it. Besides, today was too important to get lost in sad memories.

“Sure, I don’t mind.” Colin smiled. “It’ll be nice to see it later, you know, when we’re older.”

“Great! Here, I’ll get the door and go in first!” Dick hurried to pull out his keys, fitting one in one of the two big double doors. He pushed both open and then turned back with his phone pointing at them. “Okay B, you know what to do!”

Colin wasn’t sure what was going to happen, but he returned the smile Mr. Wayne gave him when he bent to be closer to his eye level. “It’s been a tradition since I brought Dick home that I carry each new kid inside the house. It’ll just be for a minute…” When he trailed off, he looked a little...nervous?

But Colin didn’t know why he would look nervous, how could he say no when Mr. Wayne took the time to check that he was okay with it? So he just lifted his arms up shyly, saying, “Well, I don’t want to break your tradition.”

When he was lifted up by the armpits he felt his tummy swoop a little bit. Mr Wayne was so tall, so big, that he was able to put Colin on his hip with no trouble. Colin held on with his arms and legs, hoping he wasn’t too heavy. But Mr. Wayne didn’t slow down any, stepping inside with no trouble. One hand kept Colin up, the other rested on his back. Colin felt safely supported.

“I haven’t been picked up in a long time.” He admitted softly. “It’s kinda nice.”

Mr. Wayne met his eyes. His were the same blue as Damian’s, pale like ice. But the way he looked at him made Colin feel warm. Especially when Mr. Wayne gave him a little squeeze, almost a hug. “Thank you for indulging me.”

“A-Anytime. I don’t mind at all.”

He set Colin down on the ground and Colin almost didn’t let go. It was nice to be picked up so gently and treated with care. Then Colin took a look around and his mouth fell open a little.

“Oh, wow.”

Everything was so...pretty. That was the only word that fit in Colin’s mind. They were in a big open room that probably led to the rest of the house. He was standing on a shiny tile floor, and he could kind of see his reflection in it. The ceiling was so high up, with a big, black metal chandelier hanging over the middle of it. In front of them was a dark wood staircase with carpet, that went up half way before splitting off to each side up to the second floor. He could see a bit of that floor from where he was, behind a carved banister. To the right was an open archway where Colin could see some fancy looking sofas and a coffee table set up. To the left was sliding wood doors that showed off a fancy dining room with a long table that sixteen people at least could sit at. That was just the places Colin could see from where he was.

Colin leaned over to Damian. He whispered, “You live in a castle, Damian.”

Damian chuckled. “Safe to assume you’re impressed?”

“Uh, yeah.” he answered. “This is so cool but so weird to me at the same time. I can’t believe I’m gonna be living here.”

Damian took his hand, waving their fingers together. Colin looked down at them before meeting his eye. “I know this all must feel very new to you right now. It was when I came here. But this is your home now, Colin. I can only hope you will feel at home here soon enough.”

Colin smiled shyly. “I’ll try.”

Damian nodded. “Father, I would like to give Colin a tour.”

They both looked at Mr. Wayne for permission. Though Colin noticed Damian didn’t really ask as much as he just said what he wanted. But Mr. Wayne gave them a nod and said, “That’ll be fine. I have to go to my study and finish some work. I’m expecting a call.” He patted Colin on the shoulder. “I’ll meet you all for dinner, but come get me if you need me. Dick’s in charge.”

“Oh, joy.” Damian said sarcastically as Mr. Bruce started up the stairs. He rolled his eyes as Dick put his phone in his pocket. “I can barely contain myself.”

Colin giggled.

“Aw, I love you too, Little D.” Dick squatted to be at their eye level. “You know, I can think of two someones you might want to introduce Colin to before you do anything else.” He raised his eyebrows, saying something without using words.

“Oh.” Damian tapped his chin for a second, thinking. “Yes, that is a good idea, Grayson. Colin, why don’t the two of you wait in the parlor while I go get them.”

“Get who?” Colin asked, but Damian was already hurrying up the stairs.

“Oh, I think you’ll like this surprise.” Dick gestured to the room with the sofas and Colin followed him in there. Dick sat easily on one sofa, but Colin felt like he needed to be careful not to get anything dirty, so he carefully pulled himself up on the sofa opposite him. “Don’t worry so much about messing stuff up around here. It happens. We usually pick up after ourselves for the most part, and help Alfred when we can. The parlor here,” he waved a finger around the room, “is where we usually have guests sit when they come over. We’ll show you the media room soon enough. That’s where we all can kick back and relax at the end of the day. You’re always allowed in there.”

“Are there any rules about where I can go? I don’t wanna break them on accident.” Colin didn’t want to break any rules at all, ever. But he was realistic. Sometimes there are rules people have that they don’t think about or mention until they get broken. Then they get really, really, mad. He learned that the hard way.

“Mmm…” Dick looked up at the ceiling, thinking. “Well there’s an easy system that should help with that.”

“Okay.” Colin sat forward, listening.

“If a door is open, that means anyone is allowed in. If a door is closed, you knock and get permission to go in. If you don’t get an answer, and the door is unlocked, you can go in, but try not to poke around too much. And last of all, if a door is locked, there’s a reason.”

Colin blinked. “Okay so...open doors are okay, closed doors mean check to see if it’s okay, and closed doors are not okay.”

Dick sort of nodded and sort of shrugged at the same time. “That’s basically it. Just try to respect everyone’s personal space, you know? Your room is your room, and that’s yours. Same for everybody else.” Dick gave him an encouraging smile. “Got it?”

“Got it.” Colin gave him a shy thumbs up and got a grin in return.

“Colin?” Damian was looking in from behind the arch way, only his head showing. “I have a surprise for you. I’ll need you to close your eyes.”

Colin, feeling bold, raised an eyebrow. “Why?” He drew the word out on purpose, just to tease.

Damian rolled his eyes, but he had a small smile on his face. “Just do it.”

Giggling, Colin covered his eyes with his hands. “I’m doing it. See? Closed.”

“Is he peeking?” Damian sounded a little closer than he was before.

There was a second of quiet before Dick said, “Nope, no peeking here.” He must have waved his hand in front of Colin’s face to check.

“What’s the surprise?” Colin asked, bouncing his feet against the sofa. Dick said there was someone he should be introduced to, and now Damian wanted to surprise him. Did that mean…?

Colin felt something get put on his lap. Something with four legs that started to shift around like it was getting comfortable. He swore he felt a tail brush against his belly when it turned around.

“Marrw…”

He barely held in a gasp. “Damian??”

There was a soft laugh just to his right. “You may look now. Go on.”

Quickly pulling his hands away, Colin nearly squealed. “A kitty! Hi…”

The cat was black, with white on its muzzle, its belly, and halfway up each leg and tail. It had bright yellow eyes that looked at Colin over its shoulder. It didn’t look bothered at all with him, which was very cat-like.

“This is my cat, Alfred. Pennyworth got him for me, so that’s who he was named after.” Damian reached over while he was talking, scratching under Alfred the Cat’s chin. Colin could feel the purrs against his legs.

“He’s so cute! I love him! We talked about cats yesterday, you didn’t say you had one!” Slowly, because he didn’t want to scare him, Colin ran his hand down Alfred the Cat’s back, from between his ears to his tail. Alfred the Cat stood up so he could arch his back into the touch, and Colin almost lost his mind.

“And spoil the surprise? I couldn’t do such a thing. You do like the surprise, don’t you?”

“Damian, there’s a cat on my lap. I can’t even hear what you’re saying right now.” When Alfred the Cat flopped down on his legs, he couldn’t help laughing like a goofball. He’d been blessed.

“Well now I’ve seen everything.” Dick was smiling, his chin in his hand. “Alfie doesn’t really like any of us except Damian. And Bruce sometimes.”

“Maybe he knows.” He rubbed Alfie’s ear, and it was as amazing as he always imagined it would be.

Damian tilted his head. “Knows?”

“That we’re soulmates.” Colin finally looked up at Damian. Those pale blue eyes were watching him gently, and Colin’s tummy felt all fluttery. “Animals have really good instincts.”

“Perhaps so.” Damian said, softly.

Colin was going to say something else, but then he heard a noise. It sounded like a groan. “What was that?” He looked at the way into the room, but didn’t see anyone.

“Ah. Yes.” Damian cleared his throat. “There’s someone else waiting to meet you.”

There was a soft whining sound.

“I’m guessing that’s not another cat.”

“Damian, let him in.” Dick said, kind of whining himself. “You know those noises break my heart…”

“Very well.” Damian looked at Colin for a second. “I would brace yourself.” He clapped twice. “Titus, come!”

The next thing Colin knew there was a very big, black dog hurrying around the corner and into the parlor. Colin got a glimpse of pointy ears and a big pink tongue before he realized the dog was coming right at him.

“Rrowr!” Alfred the Cat jumped up from Colin’s lap and onto the back of the couch. Just in time too, because in the next second there were two huge paws on either side of his head after a big, wet doggy nose pushed him down on the couch.

“Titus! You have better manners than this!”

Colin was looking into two deep, dark brown eyes that were staring him down. “Thas a whole lotta dog…”

The dog, Titus, sniffed his face all over. Then he took his giant tongue and licked all over Colin’s face.

“Gahh! Pheh! Help!”

“Titus, down! Down!! Grayson, make yourself useful and help me!!”

-----

“Again, I am very sorry for what happened. Titus is better trained than that. I should know, I trained him myself.”

“Dames you apologized like twenty times already. It was an hour ago. I’m okay. I just got an extra bath today, that’s all.”

The two of them were walking hand in hand through the halls of Wayne Manor. Colin was lightly swinging their hands between them, looking like he didn’t have a care in the world. Damian on the other hand was a bit more subdued. He kept glancing at Titus, who was following at heels like the good boy he was. Alfred the cat was ahead of them, tail up, not understanding that he was part of a tour of the house but wanting to be in the lead of it anyway.

“You could act a bit more repentant of your behavior.” Damian said to Titus, who looked at him and wagged his tail.

“He was excited, that’s all. I just wasn’t expecting such a big dog to come around the corner like that.” He squeezed Damian’s hand, his face a bit cautious when he looked over at Titus. “What breed did you say he was?”

“Great Dane. They were bred for guarding manors and estates, but they’re a good natured breed. Gentle giants, according to the internet.”

“Giant is right. He’s almost as tall as us sitting down.”

Damian’s mouth slanted. “I’ll be reinforcing his training, starting tomorrow. There will be no more jumping up on people.” He wagged a finger at Titus, who sniffed at his hand and wagged his tail some more.

“Dames. I’m okay. But I appreciate that you’re worried.” Colin’s tone was teasing at the end, as he gave his soulmate a little grin.

“Tt.”

“C’mon, let’s keep the tour going.” He stopped in front of yet another painting. “Who’s this one?”

On Damian’s tour of the house he had stopped to point out the many paintings hanging up along the walls. Some were old and some were very old. All of them had fancy golden frames. So far Colin had been introduced to Damian’s Great Grandfather; Patrick Wayne, his Great Uncles; Philip and Elwood and Great Aunt Agatha, his first cousins once removed; Van, Emelyn, and Jane, a very distant cousin name Ismael Wayne, and last of all his Great Great Great Grandfather; Alan Wayne.

“This? Ah, this would be my Great Grand Uncle, Herkimer Wayne, brother of Charles Wayne.”

Colin looked impressed yet again. “You must have an amazing memory.”

Damian smirked. “It’s a family trait.”

They both looked up at the painting, each one thinking about how this man must have lived a long, long time ago. Yet, he had a painting of himself hanging up still, and there were people who knew his name.

“I didn’t even know people could have great grand uncles. Or be named Herkimer…” Colin admitted. His face became a little melancholy. “It’s nice that you know all these family members by name. Sometimes I wonder what my family tree is like…”

“...have you thought about looking for your mother, Colin? I could help--”

Colin interrupted him. “It’s...it’s complicated. You know what I mean?” He met Damian’s eyes, dark forest green to pale icy blue.

Damian searched his face for a moment, and then softly nodded. “I do know.”

Titus, who had sat down when they stopped to look at the painting, tilted his head. He could feel the soft sadness coming from both of the boys. Alfred the Cat could, too. Which was why he came over and rubbed against each of their legs until they smiled.

After Colin finished bending down to pet the cat’s ears, Damian gave him a small, excited smile. “We’re nearly at your room. Are you ready to see it?”

“Yeah! Where is it?”

“Around this corner, and then across from my own.”

“Well what are we waiting for?” Colin pulled Damian with him, not quite running.

Damian should have told Colin that they weren’t allowed to run in the halls, but he was just as excited as his soulmate was. Together the two of them rounded the corner, where they ran head first into another person.

“Hey! Watch where you’re going!”

Colin recognized Tim’s voice and looked up at him. The teen was wearing plain clothes this time, very different from the fancy clothes he wore to the garden party. In fact they were pajamas, and with Tim’s hair looking unbrushed he seemed sort of...off.

With a glare, Damian unapologetically met Tim’s eye. “There’s no need to be rude, Drake. I was giving Colin a tour, if you care to know. Not that it’s any business of yours.”

From the corner of his eye, Tim glared at Colin for a moment. It was long enough for Colin to notice that Tim didn’t look at him very nicely. And to see that his eyes were black. He had no soulmate.

“You know what,” Tim sounded fed up, “I don’t want to put up with you right now. So why don’t you two move so I can pass.” He gestured for the two of them to move apart.

Colin didn’t like the way Tim said that. He didn’t want to let go of his soulmate’s hand, and he shouldn’t have to just because someone else said so. He found his voice, and stutteringly said, “W-Why don’t you just go around us?”

Tim’s gaze snapped to him. It made Colin flinch unintentionally. The temporary braveness he felt to speak up disappeared.

Through clenched teeth, Tim said, “No one asked for your opinion. And none of us want another Damian in this house!”

Before either boy knew what was happening Tim had each of their wrists in one hand. With a twist they were letting each other go. Colin gasped and Damian yelled. With a slight shove Tim threw their hands aside and pushed past them, moving quickly down the hall.

“Drake!” Tim didn’t look back. “You’ll answer for that, do you hear me?!”

“Damian.” Colin put a hand on his shoulder, the other on his back. “Don’t...just let him go.”

The darker haired boy looked at his soulmate. There was still a fight burning in his eyes.

“He’s mad about something. We should just leave him alone…” Colin’s voice was soft, clearly surprised about what just happened. “...right?”

“...” Damian glared down the hall. Then he sighed. “Yes. Let him have his moods. We needn’t concern ourselves with him.”

“Yeah…”

Even though they both agreed, they still looked at where Tim had walked away for another minute. Damian’s hands clenched and unclenched, and Colin gingerly held his own wrist in his hand. Both of them were left wondering what in the world had just happened.

Chapter 8

Chapter Text

American phrases had confused Damian more than once. How could one have butterflies in their stomach? They wouldn’t survive inside of a person. But as he stood in the doorway of Colin’s room and watched his soulmate look around quietly, Damian certainly felt as if colorful insects were trying to escape from him.

Alfred was already stretched out across the seat of the chair again, watching them from where he was laying on his back upside down. Titus had started to follow Colin around the room but Damian had given him a command to sit, which he did immediately. Damian couldn’t shake the image of Colin pinned on the sofa under Titus. Colin said he was fine, but the face he’d made had been as if he was scared. For the time being Damian was going to make sure Titus was on his best behavior, at least until Colin moving in wasn’t so new.

Colin was still looking around the room with wide eyes, but now his hand moved until his fingertips were to his lips. It made Damian’s nerves feel even more frayed.

“Colin?” His soulmate looked up. “What do you think?” It took effort to keep his voice from betraying his emotions.

Then the red head smiled, and it immediately soothed him. “Dames...I love it.” He spun in a circle in the center of the room. “I just…” his voice was soft with wonder, “I can’t believe this is all for me.” He gestured at the bed with both hands. “I-I mean, look at this bed. And the windows!” With both arms out wide he turned to them. “They’re so pretty, and big! The TV, too. I’ve never had my own TV.” Then Colin let out a loud gasp, which startled both Damian and his animals. “Dames.”

“What? What’s wrong?” Damian was at his side in an instant.

He was right next to him as Colin knelt down to be in front of the low bookshelf under the television. “Dames. I didn’t even see these before. You bought all of Erin Hunter’s books? You remembered?” Colin’s voice had been quiet but high pitched, and when he turned those green, adoring eyes on him Damian knew he was truly touched.

Damian had felt embarrassed, and almost resisted the urge to tug at the collar of his shirt. But then he remembered that he was in the presence of his soulmate, not his mother, and allowed himself the gesture as he joined Colin on the floor. “You told me that you liked them. I wanted you to have them. So they belong to you now, all of them.”

“Really?” Colin asked, a hopeful hint in his voice. Damian couldn’t understand Colin’s hesitancy, he could see how his soulmate had already moved to sit cross legged in front of the shelves, his fingertips hovering near the book spines as if he couldn’t wait to take them out and look at them. But it then occurred to Damian that Colin and the other children must not have had a lot to share between them. Perhaps Colin was still struggling with the desire not to be greedy, or some other such noble idea. In that moment Damian wondered if he was truly becoming his father’s son, because he now wanted to get Colin any little thing that next caught his interest. Colin should never have to want for anything again.

So Damian simply said, “But of course.” He gave Titus a command that let him relax, and the dog laid down on the floor like a lazy lump.

Colin smiled delightedly, giving in and starting to pull out each book and hold them in his hands. “They’re so nice looking. I’m used to the beat up library copies.” Damian wondered if this was how the others had felt when they forced Damian to celebrate his birthday and open their gifts in front of them. It gave him so much enjoyment to see Colin fawning over his books. As if Colin was on a similar wavelength he said, “It’s not even my birthday…”

“Then, if you prefer, you can consider them ten years worth of late birthday presents.”

“You’re so nice…” Colin smiled shyly. “You can borrow them any time you want.”

“Actually, I was tempted.” Damian pulled out the first book, admiring the editions he picked out. “It would be nice to discuss books with you. Perhaps I could recommend some you would like as well.”

“Yeah!” Colin looked as thrilled at the idea as Damian felt. “And I won’t spoil anything, I promise. I haaaate when people do that.” Colin made a face. He must have been remembering some past transgression.

“So do I!” Damian still seethed that Todd had spoiled the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel. He would have to warn Colin about him. After the two were introduced, of course.

They both looked up when there was a soft knock on the open door. Pennyworth lowered his gloved hand and graced them both with a soft smile. “Pardon the interruption, young sirs. I thought the two of you might appreciate some lunch.” In his right hand he deftly balanced a tray that he brought into the room with a cloche over it. As he smoothly unfolded the legs of the tray and set it on the end of Colin’s bed, Damian wondered if Pennyworth wasn’t showing off a tad for Colin’s benefit.

“Aptly timed, as usual, Pennyworth.” Damian stood from the carpet. He held out a hand to help Colin up, only realizing he’d done so when he felt the warmth of his soulmate’s hand in his. Of course it didn’t diminish the elation he felt at how natural they were around each other even in such a short time.

“Thanks, Alfred.” Colin smiled, gave Damian’s hand a squeeze, then moved toward the tray. “What are we having?”

Without any unnecessary flourishes, he lifted the lid. “A fruit and veg selection, with your choice of sauces. I don’t know your preferences yet, Master Colin, so there is a small variety for your choosing. Of course vegetables are non negotiable in this house, so I will not hear any--”

CRUNCH!

Damian, along with Pennyworth, blinked in surprise.

Colin, with a carrot stick bitten in half in his hand, smiled sheepishly. He chewed and swallowed before speaking. “Sorry, I saw the carrots and I was hungry...I love veggies…” His voice trailed off and there was a light blush on his cheeks.

Then, to Damian’s quiet amazement, Pennyworth softly cleared his throat into his fist. It was a rare tell from the usually stoic man, his way of holding back laughter. “No need to apologize, Master Colin. I’ll leave the two of you to your meal. I’ll expect you both washed and ready for dinner at precisely six thirty.”

Damian had hardly given a nod and picked up a celery stick for himself when he felt the man’s gloved hand on his shoulder. When he met the butler’s eyes, it was to see a proud look in them.

“I must say, it is wonderful to see that you’ve found yourself a good match, Master Damian.” He then patted his shoulder once, and stepped from the room without another word.

Colin had stared after him, just as Damian had. Dark green eyes met his a moment later. “Damian?” he asked softly, “Did he really mean it? D-Does he really think we’re a good match?” There was a hopeful tone in his voice.

Pennyworth was family. Having a family member tell someone that they and their soulmate were a “good match” was important. In a way, it was a rite of passage for each member of the family to voice their approval of the relationship. Thanks to Grayson’s obsession with romantic comedies Damian soon learned that a hold out in the family could spell disaster, in most cases because the new soulmate would go out of their way to earn that family member’s approval and would be taken advantage of in the process. Thankfully Damian didn’t much care for the approval of anyone but Father, Grayson, and Pennyworth. And it wasn’t just because if Mother, or worse Grandfather, hadn’t approved of his soulmate they would have at the very least shunned them as al Ghuls. And at worst…but Damian could care less if he was an al Ghul.

From the look in Colin’s eyes Damian could see that his soulmate would rather have their relationship supported by his family then not. “Pennyworth wouldn’t say so unless he sincerely meant it.” He climbed onto Colin’s bed so he could sit by their lunch tray, pleased to see Colin joining him without being asked. “After all, he’s very astute.”

“Astute?” Colin sounded the word out, his brow furrowing endearingly.

“He’s a good judge of character.” Damian explained. “But of course I knew they would like you, I never doubted.”

Colin softly elbowed his arm. “Flatterer.”

“Not at all. Now,” Damian reached back to Colin’s nightstand so that he could grab the remote, “would you like to try out your new television?”

Finishing off his carrot stick, Colin nodded and held out his hands. With the push of a button the rotating landscape pictures were replaced with multiple icons. “Is that Netflix? Cool!”

Damian finished his celery and had picked up some cucumber when a familiar title popped up on screen. “Is that…?”

“Watership Down.” Colin tilted his head. “This must be a new one. I only saw the original movie.”

Damian raised a brow. “I’ve read the book.”

“There’s a book?”

“There’s a film?”

—--

“I’m glad we watched the old movie first.”

“So am I. And once you’ve finished reading the book we’ll be better prepared for whatever it is they have on Netflix.”

Colin and Damian were walking down to the dining room together. They’d finished eating the lunch Alfred brought them while watching the old Watership Down. Damian had to search around but he eventually found it. When the movie was done they talked for a while, and Damian went to his room to get his copy of the book for Colin. Then, and Colin still wasn’t over how nice it had felt, they’d both laid on Colin’s bed and read next to each other; Colin reading Watership Down while Damian started Into the Wild. Before they knew it, it was time to get ready for dinner. They took turns washing up in the hall bathroom, got Damian’s pets, and walked and talked the whole way downstairs.

Damian was carrying Alfred the Cat in his arms, on his back, with his little paws in the air. “I’m surprised you enjoy that sort of story, Colin.”

“Cause they’re dark? Animal books usually are, cause they reflect people, human people. At least that’s what my school librarian said.” He shrugged. “I think animals are more interesting to read about.”

Damian smirked and raised his eyebrows. “In that we are agreed. Animals are superior in every way.”

Colin bumped his shoulder against his soulmate’s. “Wow, I wonder why you thinking that doesn’t surprise me.” he said, teasingly. As he was talking Damian rubbed Alfred the Cat’s belly while the feline stretched his front paws. And Titus, who Colin would bet followed Damian everywhere he went, was at his master’s heels all the way down the stairs. Seems like Damian didn’t tell him about his animal taming “powers”.

They’d reached the bottom of the stairs. From somewhere nearby Colin could hear what sounded like someone shaking a box of cereal, and he was confused. At least until Titus perked up his head and hurried into the dining room and through to the kitchen.

“Yes, yes, I hear it. Impatient creature.” Damian smiled. Alfred the Cat wiggled himself right side up and tried to jump down to the floor. Bending, Damian set him down and then he too was gone. “Pennyworth serves their dinner in the kitchen. They run off as soon as they hear it, and they act as if we don’t feed them!” he yelled after them.

Colin giggled.

They were both surprised when a hand came from behind them and ruffled Damian’s hair. “I think they miss how you used to overfeed them.”

“Father.” Colin wasn’t sure, but he thought Damian sounded a little shy. He didn’t push his dad away like he would if it was Dick. “I don’t do that anymore…”

“I know, son. I’m only kidding with you.” Mr. Wayne put his hand on Damian’s shoulder and pulled him in against his side. It was like a kind of hug, except Damian didn’t hug back, just loosely folded his arms and looked away. His mouth did a funny little wiggle, like he couldn’t decide if he wanted to smile or pout. But he also didn’t pull away.

Mr. Wayne turned to Colin and gave him a smile. It was right then that Colin realized something. His smiles had changed, just a little. In the interviews and newspaper pictures he found online, and at the party before Colin met Damian, Bruce Wayne’s smiles were charming, showing off his straight, white teeth. But since they’d become soulmates Mr. Wayne’s smile’s were softer, gentler. They didn’t look so forced anymore.

“How was the tour, Colin?”

“R-Really good.” Colin pushed the shy feeling inside him away. ‘It’s like with the Sisters.’ Colin thought. ‘I can talk to them real easy. Mr. Wayne’s taking care of me now, I should just talk to him like I would with them.’ “Damian showed me everything. I saw the kitchen, and the media room, and the library, and the verandah, and then I learned what a verandah is. A porch in fancy talk.”

Damian rolled his eyes, but he was smiling. He was probably remembering how Colin kept saying it was a porch and how he kept saying it wasn’t because there’s a difference, Colin. Big diff, a porch is a porch, even if it was made out of marble or whatever.

“And then I saw my room.” Colin finished. He held his hands together behind his back. “It’s really pretty here.” he added. Then he felt silly for doing it.

But when Mr. Wayne pulled him into the same almost hug he gave Damian he didn’t feel silly anymore. “I’m glad you like it. Let’s go sit at the table, we don’t want to keep Alfred waiting.”

He gave them both one more squeeze before walking ahead of them into the dining room. Colin could see plates and bowls on the table. Whatever it was smelled really good.

Damian walked at his dad’s heel, a lot like how Titus did to him. “Colin is sitting next to me.”

“Naturally.” Mr. Wayne said.

Colin realized Mr. Wayne didn’t notice, or didn’t care, that Damian hadn’t really asked permission. It wasn’t the first time Damian had said what he wanted instead of asking for it. He did the same thing after their eyes changed, when he said Colin was coming home with them. But Colin decided not to say anything as he followed them to the table. If Mr. Wayne didn’t mind, he shouldn’t, either. He wanted to sit by Damian, anyway.

Dick hurried in from the kitchen. “I’m not late.”

“This time.” Mr. Wayne smiled, and Colin could tell he wasn’t mad.

Mr. Wayne pulled the chair at the end of the table, the one with its back to the windows, out and sat down. Dick went to the one to the left of him and Damian went to the right. But before he sat down he pulled out the chair next to him, looking at Colin and waiting.

When Colin realized that Damian was being a gentleman, he blushed. He gave his soulmate a teasing smile as he sat. “How gallant.”

The back of the chair was so high he couldn’t see Damian, but he heard Dick snort quietly. Damian gave Colin a look when he was finally in his chair. “Must you tease me?”

“I dunno, it’s kinda fun.”

Damian looked up at the ceiling and sighed.

“I’m sorry.” Colin said, meaning it. He put his hand on Damian’s wrist where it was resting on the table. “It really was gallant.”

So every time Damian gave him one of those little smiles was going to make him feel gooey inside, because it just happened again.

“Grayson stop smiling like an imbecile.”

He didn’t look away from Colin as he said it, but when Colin looked he saw that he wasn’t wrong. Dick had his fist pressed against the corner of his mouth, and he was grinning at them.

“I’m not going to be able to help it if you two keep being sweet on each other like that.”

“There’s nothing wrong with flirting with your soulmate. It’s a natural thing, everyone does it.” Mr. Wayne took his white cloth napkin out of the gold ring it was in, putting it on his lap. He didn’t look up when he spoke, but after he did look at them with raised brows and a smile.

Colin’s face was on fire. He had to be bright red, because his face felt warm and he couldn’t meet their eyes anymore. He used the chance to pull out his own napkin so he wouldn’t have to. Flirting. It sounded so grown up. It sounded like what couples in those movies the Sisters wouldn’t let the youngest kids watch would do. Is that what he and Damian had been doing?

Colin peeked at Damian from behind his bangs. His soulmate took out his napkin without looking away from Dick or his dad, and his chin was tilted up. It was almost like he was daring them to try to make him feel embarrassed, because it wouldn’t work. He looked haughty. Colin knew what the word meant, but Damian right then was the first time he’d seen it in person.

“If the two of you are quite finished.” He put his napkin ring down on the table with a thunk that rattled some of the plates on the table.

“Y-Yeah.” Colin echoed, but less sure of himself. He also put down his napkin ring, but stopped himself before putting it down too hard. Instead he set it there, his hand patting the air above it for a second before darting away.

“Sorry I’m late.”

Tim’s voice came from the doorway, and they all turned to look when he walked in. He was wearing dark jeans and a t-shirt, and he looked like he took a bath. He seemed less off than before, but Colin still felt his stomach knot up. He couldn’t help remembering when they’d run into the teen, literally, earlier. It had scared him, the way Tim had acted. What he said. He’d thought he wouldn’t be treated like that here…

Mr. Wayne’s eyes followed Tim. “We haven’t started yet. You’re still on time.”

“That’s right, Master Tim. Do sit down, and we’ll begin.” Alfed walked in carrying one more covered dish, setting it down on the table.

“Sit by me, Timmy.” Dick pushed out the chair next to him with one hand, and grinned when Tim did just that.

Colin met Damian’s eye, and his soulmate shook his head the tiniest bit. They’d talked about Tim in Colin’s room, and agreed not to bring it up at dinner. Colin hadn’t wanted to tell anyone at all, Damian said his dad should know about it, so they agreed to talk to Mr. Wayne about it later. That way dinner wouldn’t be so tense.

“Now that all are present, I present tonight’s meal.” Alfred lifted lids and named each food as he did. “Garlic butter chicken, a choice of pasta or salad, sauteed vegetables, oven roasted potatoes, and dinner rolls fresh from the oven.”

Pushing thoughts about Tim away, Colin licked his lips. The savory and herb filled smells almost made him feel like he’d taken a bite already. “Wow! It’s so yummy!” He leaned forward, taking another smell.

“You’re spoiling us, Al.” The look on Dick’s face said he was in heaven, too. He started serving himself, and also Tim who held his plate out. There was the slightest smile on the teen’s face, and Colin was just glad he was in a better mood.

“The old standby. Great choice.” Mr. Wayne smiled as the butler set food on his, Damian, and Colin’s plates.

“Did you doubt me?” Alfred lifted one brow.

“Do I ever?”

Colin thought Alfred looked pleased, even if he wasn’t the most expressive guy.

“Be sure to take another helping if you’re still hungry, Colin. There’s plenty.” Damian poured what looked like orange juice into both of their cups. He moved around the others without bumping into anyone. They must be used to working together. He tapped the rim of Colin’s glass. “Mango pineapple.”

“Wait, really?” Picking up the cup, Colin took a sip. “Mmmm! That’s so good.”

Damian smiled softly at him.

“What?”

“Nothing, nothing.”

“Bruce.” Tim looked up from his plate, he and everyone else had already started eating. “I got a chance to look over those notes from the last board meeting. There are some things you should look at. I highlighted them for you.”

Mr. Wayne nodded. “I’ll take a look after dinner.”

Tim paused. It was barely for a second, but Colin noticed. He wondered if Tim was waiting for Mr. Wayne to say something else, or if he wanted to say something else. But he just kept eating.

“Who was it that called you, Grayson?” Damian asked. Dick had been with them when they started the tour, but then he got a phone call and said they could keep going without him. He didn’t come back until dinner.

“Work stuff, kiddo.” Dick turned to Mr. Wayne. “I’m going back to Bludhaven tomorrow.”

“You’re staying the night?” Mr. Wayne raised a brow, and Colin thought he was asking something else without saying anything, the way grown ups do sometimes.

“I’ll leave really early in the morning. I won’t be at breakfast…” as he was talking his eyes flitted over in their direction. “Hey, what’s with that face, Colin?” He was giving him a concerned smile.

Colin hadn’t meant to stare, but he couldn’t help it. “Are you really going to Bludhaven? The Sisters always told us we were never, ever supposed to go there. It’s really dangerous…”

Gotham City had a lot of crime. The highest crime rate of most cities in America. From the stories Colin heard, Bludhaven was the worst part of it. There were hardly any kids there because most parents didn’t want them raised around the violence and theft, but it was also because kids supposedly went missing there way too often.

“Well I won’t pretend it’s safe there. But I have work I’ve got to do. The Sisters were right, though.” Dick pointed his fork at both him and Damian. “You two are never going over there on your own. You hear me?”

Colin nodded. He noticed Damian didn’t and elbowed him gently.

Damian looked up, then rolled his eyes. “We aren’t daft, Grayson. We have no reason to be in Bludhaven. Save your concern for yourself.”

“You’ll call if you need anything?” Mr. Wayne asked.

“You know I will.” Dick said.

“Be careful?” Colin asked.

“I’ll be okay, but you’re sweet to worry about me.”

Tim made an amused sound. “We’re all worried about you.” When Dick reached over with pinchy fingers aimed at Tim’s cheek, the teen pretended to jab his fork at it until the other pulled away, laughing.

Colin bit his lip. It was nice to see Tim joking around with Dick. It reminded Colin of how Tim helped him at the fundraiser. Tim had seen that he was getting nervous and pointed him a way out of the crowd without drawing in any attention. It was a nice thing Tim had done, and Colin wanted to believe that Tim was a nice person. So maybe it was okay to talk to him?

“Tim?” Colin’s voice came out shy, but he hoped no one noticed it was because he was a little afraid.

Tim looked at him.

Colin remembers the Sisters’ advice for making friends, and figured that was the best place to start. “What kinds of things do you like?” He asked, as casually as he could. He hoped he was just imagining the short pause that came after, when there weren’t any sounds from plates and forks and cups being used.

“Me?” Tim asked, tilting his head a little. “Hm.” He shrugged his shoulders. “Computers. Photography. Games.”

This was a good start. At least, Colin thought so. “What kinds of games?”

“Uh…” Tim thought for a second. Colin wondered if maybe he wasn’t so good with new people either, because he seemed unsure what to say. Or maybe he didn’t expect anyone to ask him questions. “Video games, card games, board games.”

“You mean like Sorry, or Trouble?” Those were the only kinds of board games Colin ever played. He always wanted to try Monopoly, but the other kids were too young to understand how to play.

Tim shifted in his seat. “My friends and I used to play more advanced stuff. Lords of Waterdeep, Betrayal at House on the Hill, Stone Age, Carcassonne…we had a lot of fun with those.” He sounded sad at the end. Maybe Tim’s friends were busy because it was summer vacation.

“I never heard of those before, but I bet they’re fun.” Colin said, really meaning it. He hadn’t meant to make Tim sad.

“...if you wanted…we could play one sometime. The three of us.” When he said the last part he looked at Damian. “What do you think?”

For a few seconds their eyes locked. Colin looked between them. He knew Damian was still mad about what Tim did. He also thought maybe the two of them had fought about something before, because of what Tim said to Colin up in the hall. But he could tell that Tim was trying to offer a way to make up. Colin really wanted Damian to say yes.

“...that would be nice.” Damian said, softly. “Colin?”

“Yeah, I wanna try one of your games.” Colin grinned.

Tim smiled. It was a small one, but it counted.

‘This is great!’ Colin thought. ‘Tim and Damian made up, so we don’t have to tell on Tim anymore!’ Now that he was going to spend some time with Tim, Colin was already in a good place with most of Damian’s family. Dick already liked him, and Mr. Wayne and Alfred were so nice. Now all he had to worry about was Damian’s sister.

Dick gave Tim a warm look, like he was proud. He must be glad they’re getting along, too.

“Colin, could you push that over here?” Tim pointed at the serving spoon in the vegetables. It was on Colin’s side.

“Sure.” Colin reached out his right hand to grab it.

All of sudden, faster than Colin had ever seen, Damian had grabbed Colin’s arm under the wrist. The others saw the movement, and they stopped to look at them now. Everyone had stopped. Damian was staring at Colin’s hand, his eyebrows pulled together.

“D-Damian?” Colin stuttered, surprised and unsure what was happening.

“You’re hurt.” Damian said, not looking up.

Colin followed his eyes. That’s when he saw his wrist. There were purple, light colored bruises around it. On the inner wrist there was what looked like finger shapes.

“What happened?” Dick asked, concerned. He was leaning forward in his chair to see better.

Damian and Colin knew what happened. They were both probably thinking about how Tim had grabbed their wrists up in the hall.

“He happened.” Damian said, his voice hard. He looked angry now, and he was pointing that look right at Tim.

Tim was staring at Colin’s wrist, his eyes wide. Colin knew right then that Tim hadn’t tried to hurt him. Not on purpose.

“Damian–”

“Well?” Damian demanded, ignoring Colin.

It was quiet at the table as everyone looked at Tim. The teen had set his utensils down, and was staring down at his plate. He didn’t look at anybody.

“Tim.” Mr. Wayne’s voice was serious. Colin knew by his tone that Tim had better answer.

Colin thought he saw Tim flinch the tiniest bit. “...I didn’t grab him that hard.”

Dick looked shocked. “Tim!”

“You shouldn’t have put your hands on him at all!” Damian let go of Colin so he could push up on the table until he was kneeling on his chair. “You’ve crossed the line!”

Tim’s head snapped up and the angry look from before was back. “I wouldn’t have done it if you two had just moved out of the way.”

“We live in a manor, Drake. You could have waited for us to pass, or gone around us. Or couldn’t you be bothered?”

“Like you get to talk!” Tim suddenly yelled. He stood up from his chair, and it made a rough noise when it was pushed back. “Why the hell should I bend over backwards for you? I didn’t see you doing that for me after Talia dumped you here!”

Colin’s hands flew to his mouth. His eyes were wide. Even if he didn’t have parents, he knew from seeing fights at school that you never talk about somebody’s mom.

“Hey, hey…” Dick said, trying to stop the fight. He even put his arm up between them, like he was worried they might jump at each other over the table.

There was, and Colin could hardly believe it, an ugly little grin on Damian’s face. “At least my mother cares where I am. What of yours?”

“You little son of a bitch–!”

“ENOUGH!”

Mr. Wayne’s voice boomed around the room. He was standing from his chair. Colin didn’t realize how loud Tim and Damian were until it was silent. The two were still staring each other down, but they weren’t leaning over the table anymore, and they were both breathing hard. Dick had turned in surprise to Mr. Wayne, and when the man gave him a look he put his arm down.

“Sit down.” Colin saw Alfred standing at the other end of the table, his fingertips pressing against the tablecloth. He had the same look on his face that Mr. Wayne had.

Neither of them moved, but Tim started to open his mouth.

“I said sit.” Alfred wasn’t playing around. They both sat. They didn’t say anything, and they were both looking down at their plates. Colin guessed that no one argued with Alfred. “Sir?”

“I’ll handle this, Alfred.” he said, quietly.

The butler nodded and stepped back from the table.

Mr. Wayne looked between the two who were in trouble. Then he looked at Colin. “Are you alright?”

That was when Colin realized he was shaking a little. He didn’t know when he started. “Y-Yes.”

“What I’m about to say isn’t directed at you. You aren’t in any trouble, okay?”

Colin didn’t realize he’d been waiting to hear that, and he felt a lot of the fear in him go down. “Okay…”

“Father–”

“I am still speaking.”

Damian quickly shut up, and Colin was glad he did. He was already in enough trouble.

“What happened just now, is not going to happen again. You do not shout at each other across the table like that. Ever. And you will not throw low blows at each other, because that is completely uncalled for.”

Damian’s shoulders hunched up. He looked embarrassed.

“Is that clear?”

“Yes, Father.”

“...yes, Bruce.”

“As for you,” Mr. Wayne looked at Tim, “I don’t ever want to hear you using that kind of language toward another member of this family again, young man. Not in this house. Do you understand me?”

For a second Colin didn’t think Tim was going to answer. If he didn’t Colin didn’t know what kind of trouble he’d be in. But he did eventually huff out, “Yes.”

“Excuse me?” Mr. Wayne narrowed his eyes.

Tim took a deep breath. “Yes, Bruce.” he said, more calmly.

“Alfred, would you–?”

“Yes, of course.” Alfred moved to stand next to Colin’s chair. “May I see your wrist, young sir?”

Colin looked up in surprise. “I-I’m okay. It doesn’t really hurt…”

“I would like to be the judge of that, please.” Alfred held his hands out and Colin, feeling embarrassed that everyone got so upset because of a bruise, gave him his hand. Alfred was very gentle, he felt along his hand and wrist without pushing down too hard. “Does this hurt?” He bent Colin’s wrist back.

Colin shook his head.

Alfred moved his wrist a few more ways around, but none of them hurt. After he was done, he patted Colin’s hand and let him go. “No signs of a sprain or pull. Just a bruise.” He said to Mr. Wayne.

The man sighed, and Colin wondered if he’d been really worried.

“Mr. Wayne,” Colin said, “Tim didn’t do it on purpose, and….it’s not as bad as it looks. I swear.”

“Colin–” Damian’s voice was soft, and his eyes went between him and his dad.

“Damian, let Colin speak.” Mr. Wayne sounded calmer now.

Everyone was looking at him, and Colin felt his belly flip over. ‘Just say it.’ he thought. “I bruise real easy. Honest!” Damian had looked like he didn’t believe him for a second. “Sister Rachel says I bruise like a peach. S-Sometimes when I get down on the floor to pick stuff up I’ll have bruises on my knees when I stand up. It just happens. ‘Specially if there’s no carpet…” Colin wasn’t sure if he was making sense anymore, but no one told him to stop so he added, “Damian doesn’t have any bruises, and Tim grabbed him, too.”

Mr. Wayne turned to Damian. Without being asked Damian moved his hands out from under the table. There weren’t any marks on his wrists.

“I see.” Mr. Wayne nodded. “Thank you for telling us, Colin. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that Tim shouldn’t have done that to the two of you, no matter what the reason.” He looked at Tim. “Since Colin is alright, we can move past this without some kind of punishment. This time. But you still owe Colin an apology.”

Tim tried really hard not to make a face, but Colin still saw the frown when he met the teen’s eyes. Oh no. This wasn’t going to be good…

—--

Damian guided Colin back upstairs. He was trying not to pull Colin along behind him, but he was also trying to make sure they got away from the others quickly. They needed to be alone if they were going to discuss this.

Colin had been quiet for the last little while, but he timidly asked, “Are you mad at me?”

“No!” Stopping immediately in the hall, Damian met Colin’s eyes. He was surprised Colin would think that, but then remembered his soulmate’s past. “No, Colin. I’m not mad, I promise.” Giving the other boy’s hand a small tug, he moved so they were walking side by side, and this time Colin kept pace with him. “I will admit, I am unsure why you wouldn’t accept Drake’s apology.”

“It wouldn’t have been right. He didn’t mean it…”

Drake had in fact apologized, he even managed to look contrite while doing it. What had surprised them all was that a few moments after, when Father had resumed his seat, Colin had lifted his head and said. “I don’t accept your apology.”

Damian had expected such words to be followed by an angry expression. Yet Colin had been firm in his resolve, his gaze serious but calm as he looked at Drake across the table.

“Are…you still upset, Colin?” Grayson had asked, haltingly.

“No.” Colin admitted softly, “But I’m the one who gets to decide if I forgive somebody or not. That’s what the Sister’s said.” Damian could tell it was hard for his soulmate to be the center of attention, but admired that he persisted through it. “I don’t accept unsincere apologies. If you mean it later, you can apologize to me then.” Colin had then taken another bite of his meal, most likely in an attempt to stop anyone from making him speak more.

Drake had looked at Father in disbelief. “Bruce–”

Father held up a hand. “It’s Colin’s choice. He doesn’t have to accept it if he doesn’t want to. But I don’t want to hear anymore fighting about this, am I understood?”

All three of them agreed.

Drake had then asked if he could be excused from the table. Father had refused, telling him he was to clean his plate and have dessert. Drake didn’t say anything more during dinner, though Father and Grayson managed to fluidly start up conversation again, with Pennyworth chiming in when necessary. Damian contributed as well, and soon Colin was relaxed enough to laugh at one of Grayson abhorrent jokes.

After dessert, a chocolate confection that Colin adored, Drake left the table. There had been a prolonged pause for a moment after he left the room, then Father had dismissed them and stood to help Pennyworth with the dishes. Damian was sure it was so they could discuss Drake in private.

Grayson then herded the two of them out of the room and toward the stairs, a disappointed look to his features.

“Grayson–” Damian started.

“I think it would be best if you two hung out upstairs tonight, okay?” He said, softly.

Damian stopped halfway up the stairs. Grayson was still at the bottom of them, which left them at eye level. “You know Colin and I aren’t at fault here.”

The disappointment on his former mentor’s face was almost like a knife to the stomach. “I really don’t care whose fault it is, Damian. You didn’t have to react like that. I told you not to give Tim a hard time. More than once. He’s going through so much, he doesn’t mean to act like this. It doesn’t have anything to do with you tw–”

“The hell it doesn’t.” Damian said quickly, but quietly. He didn’t want Father to overhear them, and for a moment he and Grayson just stared at each other. After all, he couldn’t deny that Damian was right.

“...what’s going on with Tim?” Colin asked. He’d been a few steps above them, listening, but he moved to stand side by side with Damian. His soulmate was no fool, he knew something was going on. He just didn’t know what.

Damian raised an eyebrow at Grayson in a silent challenge.

Grayson must have forgotten Colin was there, because for a moment he looked surprised. Then he simply looked sad. “It’s…private, Colin.”

“If Tim’s gonna act like that…it won’t be private for long.”

Colin was right of course, which was why Grayson didn’t have a good response to give. “Just…go upstairs, you guys. Relax, hang out. Talk to Cass. Don’t let what happened ruin your first night together.” Then he’d walked away from them, leaving them on the stairs.

Now here they were, Damian leading Colin toward his own room.

“Should I have accepted it, even though he was unsincere?”

“Insincere, Colin. And no, it’s fine that you didn’t. I admire your integrity.”

They were outside the door to Damian’s room. He quickly opened it and pushed Colin in ahead of him. With a look down the hall each way to make sure no one was near, Damian shut the door behind them.

Colin was looking at him when he flipped the light switch on. “Why are we in here?”

“This is my room. As far as the others know, we’re waiting for Cassandra to call. But Drake’s actions tonight made me realize something. You deserve to know why Drake lashed out at the two of us. Because I cannot promise you this issue is fully over.”

He stared into Colin’s eyes, meeting that deep forest green and hoping Colin understood how serious this was. After a moment, he could see the emotions in his own mind echoed in his soulmate’s more open expression.

Colin hugged his arms around himself. “It’s bad…isn’t it?”

Damian took a breath, held it, and let it go. It wouldn’t do any good to sugarcoat this. Better to just say it outright.

“Six months ago…Drake’s soulmate died.”

Chapter 9

Chapter Text

Colin sat on the edge of Damian’s bed. His hands were clasped tightly together, and pressed between his knees. He was so pale Damian could clearly see each of his freckles. When Damian had told Colin about Drake’s soulmate he thought that Colin was going to faint. He’d covered his mouth with his hands, and even stumbled a little as Damian brought him to where he could sit down.

For a minute Damian stood with his hand half extended to his soulmate. He could tell Colin was upset, but he didn’t know what would help. When Colin softly sniffled, Damian pulled a tissue from the box on his desk and offered it to him. After a moment, Colin took it in both hands, but he just held it on his lap. Not knowing what else to do, he sat next to Colin so that their shoulders were touching.

Their shadows were below them on the carpet. Damian could see how their hairstyles differentiated whose silhouette it was, yet how they were so close they looked like one being. That’s what soulmates were supposed to be; two separate parts of one whole. So how must Drake feel, to have his other half forever beyond his reach? Incomplete.

Colin sniffled again. When Damian looked up it was in time to see a teardrop run down his pale cheek. The light caught in it, making it look like a diamond for a moment. He was so still while he cried, and it frightened a part of Damian to think why he would be.

Damian remained silent in dismay. Eventually, his voice choked, Colin said, “No wonder Tim’s not okay. H-His heart’s broken…” Bringing the tissue up to his face, he wiped his eyes. “Then I showed up and you found me…”

“It’s not our fault!” Damian thought he would yell the words, but they came out pinched, and, he hated to admit it, guiltily. Yes, he’d known from the moment Drake had glared daggers at him inside of St. Aden’s that the former Robin resented him for having a soulmate when he no longer did. Drake still resented that Damian was given Robin, no matter what Grayson said. Even so, Damian had no intention of giving up Robin or Colin, and he refused to accept responsibility for Drake’s pain. “What was I meant to do? Shun you for Drake’s sake?”

“No…” Colin admitted, his voice wobbling.

“I cannot bring his soulmate back…” For a moment the image of the Lazarus Pit appeared in his mind, but he pushed it away. Father’s stance on that was clear. “We shouldn’t have to be punished to make him feel better. Would that be fair?”

Colin shook his head. He wiped his eyes again, then softly blew his nose. Damian thought he might not say anything else, but then he met Damian’s eye. “What happened to them? Tim’s soulmate.”

Damian’s brow furrowed. “You want to know how he died?”

“Yes. I know you weren’t supposed to tell me about this, but I know now. You might as well tell me everything.”

“Colin…” It wasn’t that Damian didn’t think he could handle it, but he wasn’t sure if he liked the idea of lying to his soulmate. So far he hasn't had to. When Colin had jokingly asked if he was Robin last night Damian’s heart had nearly stopped. Thankfully when he had answered Colin’s question with one of his own, his soulmate hadn’t noticed.

“I wanna get along with Tim, Damian. I want to understand him, the best I can. Learning about his soulmate could help. They’re part of your family.”

Damian held back from commenting on that. He no longer shared Mother’s beliefs about Father’s other children. He was still angry with Drake, but not enough to reopen that wound. “You’re sure?”

Colin nodded once, firmly.

Sighing, Damian moved so he was sitting more comfortably on his bed. After a pause Colin did too, pulling his legs up to his chest.

“His name was Kent,” Damian started, “Conner Kent.”

He told Colin a version of the story that was true, with the fact of their other identities left out. The story was this: Drake and Kent had met through Father’s work, but they hadn’t known they were soulmates right away. Due to Father’s rule about secret identities, Drake, Robin at the time, always wore his mask when around his teammates. During that time he and Kent, who was Superboy, had formed a close friendship. Kent had even dated another of their teammates, Wonder Girl, not knowing that his soulmate was right there.

“So,” Colin asked, “Tim and Conner met each other but didn’t get their true eyes because Conner was wearing glasses?”

Damian nodded, pushing away the guilt from telling the little white lie. Kent had worn glasses as a part of his secret identity, so it was partially true.

“Weird how glass can do that, block eyes from changing.”

“It isn’t just glass. Whether it is transparent, translucent, or opaque, if anything comes between two soulmates then their eyes will not get their true color.” Scientists tried to study the phenomenon, but it couldn’t be done in an ethical way. Nevertheless it was a fact most people knew, and it was why there used to be a strong stigma against glasses.

“What changed?” Colin tilted his head. “They found out eventually, right?”

“Yes. It took a year, but eventually there was nothing in their way.”

“A whole year?” Colin’s voice pitched up at the end, shocked.

“Mm.”

An entire year spent next to his soulmate, but not knowing. Damian couldn’t imagine it. Drake must have felt so many conflicting emotions when it happened. Father had eventually relented, allowing Drake to reveal his true identity to his teammates. Though he didn’t know the details, from what Damian had heard it had caused tension in their friend group. Only for a short while of course, because it was a few months later that Kent had died.

“All of that happened before I came here to live with Father. That was how I’d met Drake, with his eyes already changed.” The color, a cornflower blue, was imprinted in Damian’s mind, along with Drake’s attempt at friendliness that he had initially scorned. He regretted that now. “I was sworn to secrecy, as they hadn’t gone public with their relationship yet.”

“Wait…” Colin looked like he was thinking for a moment, “There was this one site that had conspiracy theories. I barely looked at it, but they had a picture of Tim with blue eyes. The comments said it was edited…”

Colin trailed off as Damian shook his head. “It was a selfie, wasn’t it? Drake took that picture. He had it scheduled to appear on his social media feeds. It was how he was going to reveal to the public that he’d found his other half. They wanted to have more control on how the press found out than what ended up happening with us. But before it could go out, Kent…well in any case Father had his people pull it from the internet as best they could, but they couldn’t get rid of all traces. There are still people who think Drake had worn contacts to fake it. What they don’t know was that he’d been wearing black ones to hide them for months. He’d hated that…:

“So…” Colin swallowed, “...how did Conner die?”

“He…was in Metropolis…six months ago…”

Colin gasped. “The attack…” he whispered. Damian wasn’t surprised that he’d heard of it, it had been all over the news. “That thing. You mean he was there when it attacked the city?”

Damian nodded. “He was one of the casualties.”

“I saw the news clips. The Sisters only let me watch, not the other kids. What even was that monster? An alien? A robot?”

“We’ll never know.” That was very much the truth. No one, not the Justice League, not Superman, not even Father knew what the being they’d referred to as Superboy Prime was. They said it came from another dimension. They said it didn’t stand, walk, talk, or act like any being in their universe. Whatever Prime was, when it touched down on Earth it started a path of destruction leading straight to Superboy. It hated Kent, and even tried to harm Drake in order to get Superboy to fight him. And fight they did. To the death. Even now the image from that newsfeed Damian had seen while in the Cave with Pennyworth, of Drake lying on Kent’s still form, sent a chill through him.

“Superman couldn’t save him…” Colin softly whispered.

Damian bit his tongue to keep himself from answering. After all, Colin didn’t realize who he was talking about. He had no way of knowing that Superman had been offworld. That he had rushed back when he heard Superboy was losing to Prime. That he had been there to stand over Superboy’s body along with Father, Wonder Woman, and the rest of the League. That he had carried his body away from there, to be buried on the Kent family farm.

“They can’t save everyone.” Damian said, admitting to something he himself tried not to think about. Seeing the sadness in Colin’s eyes, he added, “I’m sure he tried.”

“Did they find him? They didn’t find a lot of the people who died there.”

“Yes. They did.”

“It probably didn’t make it any easier for Tim.”

“No. It didn’t.”

When Father had carried a limp and catatonic Drake home, Damian hovered nearby. He wasn’t sure what to do, if he would be told to go away. But they had hardly paid him any attention. Father, Pennyworth, Grayson, they’d only had their minds on Drake. Damian had eventually worked up the courage to peek around the curtain in the med bay. He had been there to see Father gently removing Drake’s mask as the prone Robin laid on the hospital bed.

Damian had never seen it before, but he’d heard of it. When someone loses their soulmate, when they learn of their death, when they cry, the color their eyes had been would escape in their tears. Most disturbing of all, the chemicals in those tears would cause them to stain human skin.

When Drake’s mask came off, Damian couldn’t stop the audible gasp that escaped him. Drake’s eyes were black, staring up at the overhead light as if he wasn’t seeing anything at all. Around his eyes, where the tears had been trapped by the mask, were cornflower blue smudges. In that moment Damian had understood what his Grandfather meant when he said that grief could be beautiful.

Father didn’t look up at Damian’s gasp the way Grayson and Pennyworth had. His shoulders had only drooped as he asked Grayson to bring Damian upstairs. He probably hadn’t expected Grayson to take his hand and start leading him up there without changing from his suit. When Damian had tentatively pointed this out, Grayson had stopped on the stairs, not looking back. Then, still dressed as Nightwing, he turned around, slumped until he sat on a stair, and pulled Damian into his arms. What was jarring was that it wasn’t a normal Grayson hug, with a ridiculous amount of cuddling. When Grayson held him then, he had rested his forehead on Damian’s shoulder as if he was weary down to his bones.

That was how Father found them, an hour later. He’d petted Grayson’s hair and gently shooed him back down to the Cave to change. Damian allowed Father to lift him into his arms and carry him upstairs. It seemed as if his Father needed it, which was the only reason he let it happen, certainly not because he needed the reassurance. They then had a long talk about Drake, where Damian promised to be kind to him while he recovered.

“How long will it take for him to recover?”

Alarmingly, Father, who knew everything, answered, “...I don’t know.”

Bringing his mind back to the present, Damian continued. “For the first month or so after, Drake was present in body but not mind. He hardly spoke. But then,” Damian paused. “Father left for a month with an emergency.”

He couldn’t mention Father’s disappearance. For a month he had been “lost in time”, as they’d learned later. As far as Gotham knew he’d had a “family emergency” overseas while Damian and the others looked for him. After a week they thought he was either dead or in deep cover, so Grayson became Batman because Gotham needed one. Thinking that Drake would be too fragile to work with him, he had made Damian Robin, something he had wanted since he’d arrived but accepted with quiet guilt. He’d wanted Father to choose him, not to be given the mantle under Drake’s nose. Drake surprised them all by taking off to Europe to try to find Father. The fact that he’d succeeded surprised them all.

“When Father came back, Drake seemed to get some of his old spirit back, even though he still seemed subdued. We’ve continued on from then, but no one talked about what happened to Drake. They would talk about Drake, but not with him around. And they left me out of the discussions as well.” Damian waved a hand dismissively. “You witnessed what happened tonight. I don’t currently know where Drake stands, or how he’s going to act in the future.”

Colin tilted his head. “So…what does that mean? What do we do now?”

“Nothing.” Damian answered. “Unfortunately, all we can do is play it by ear. I won’t allow Drake to harm you again.” He meant that with his entire being. “However, if you wish to become friendly with Drake, I’ll assist you however I can.” Even if he couldn’t understand why it was important to Colin.

“Thanks, Dames.” Colin had a determined look in his eye. “I’ll think about how to do that tomorrow.”

In the moment of quiet that followed, Damian’s phone vibrated in his pocket. He pulled it out and opened the screen, seeing that there was a new text message. “It’s Cassandra.”

He opened the message, which read, “Time for our call. Don’t try to get out of it.”

Damian rolled his eyes. “She’s clearly eager to meet you.” He looked up at Colin, who was biting his lip. “I can tell her this isn’t a good time. When she hears what happened with Drake she won’t mind. She’s usually very understanding.”

Colin thought for a moment. “I don’t want to make her wait. Besides, if she’s really understanding, maybe she can give me some advice. It can’t hurt, right?”

“She can be very…honest.” he warned.

“Well I’m not scared of honesty.” Colin sat up a little straighter. “Bring it on. I’m ready.”

Damian couldn’t help the soft chuckle that escaped him. Colin was far too endearing.

—--

Colin hadn’t lied when he said he was ready to meet Cassandra. He was still nervous, but it couldn’t be any worse than meeting the rest of Damian’s family. And it wasn’t like he was meeting Damian’s mom. If that was what was happening Colin would be a nervous wreck.

Damian got up from the bed after answering her text. He went to his desk, where he pulled a laptop out of one of the drawers where he keeps it. “It will be easier for her to see us with this.” He explained when he sat next to Colin by the pillows.

Colin tried to fix his hair with his hands. “Do I look okay?”

He saw Damian look at him with a tiny smile. It reminded Colin of how the SIsters would look at him when he did something they thought was cute. “You look fine.”

Not holding back a pout, Colin muttered, “Well how am I supposed to know? Besides, you’re my soulmate so I don’t know why I asked.”

“Are you saying I’m biased?” Damian lifted one eyebrow.

“Well duh.” Colin decided to pull a Damian and rolled his eyes.

“Tt.” Damian made a sound with his mouth. He does that a lot. “I am not biased.” His hand moved up and before Colin knew what was happening, Damian tucked some of his hair behind his ear. The gentle touch sent a shiver up his back.

Damian must have realized what he did after he did it, because he blushed, his eyes wide. It made Colin blush, too. For a few seconds they stared into each other’s eyes. Damian was so lucky to have pretty blue eyes. Colin remembered looking at his own in the mirror of St. Aden’s bathroom after his talk with Sister Agnes. His eyes had been red and puffy from crying, but he thought he liked the dark green color okay enough. But they were nothing compared to Damian’s.

Looking away first, Damian cleared his throat. “I should set up our call.” He opened the laptop and did just that.

“Y-Yeah.” Colin agreed, but looked away. He wondered if his smile looked really dopey, and the way his tummy was flipping around didn’t help any. He patted his cheeks to make the feeling go away.

“You should know that Cassandra doesn’t speak much. So if she seems quiet it’s not because she means to be rude.”

Not knowing what he should say about that, Colin just nodded. He was kind of quiet too, so he understood how she felt.

A ringing tune started to come from the laptop, and on the screen the name Cassandra Cain popped up. Damian moved the mouse over the little green button and looked at Colin. “Ready?”

Colin nodded. “Yeah.”

With a tap the screen changed to show a girl sitting in front of a white wall. She smiled softly, almost so small you couldn’t see it. She had short dark hair, and her eyes brightened when she saw them. There was sunlight reflected in her eyes, and Colin remembered that she was in another country, on the other side of the world, where it was morning time. ‘Wow.’ he thought, ‘Damian’s sister is so pretty.’

She nodded at Damian. “Little Brother.”

Damian returned the nod. “Cassandra.”

Her eyes moved over to Colin. She gave him a smile, then looked at Damian and raised her eyebrows.

“Let me introduce you. This is my soulmate, Colin.” Colin had his legs crossed, and Damian set his hand down on his knee. “Colin, this is Cassandra.”

“Hi.” he said shyly, “It’s nice to meet you, Cassandra.”

“You too.” She pointed a finger at him. “But call me Cass.”

“Oh! Sure, Cass, I can do that.” The nickname seemed a lot less formal, and Colin felt himself relax.

“Only he calls me that.” She sent a smirk Damian’s way before looking back at Colin. Her nose wrinkled playfully. “Little aristocrat.”

Colin covered his giggles with his hand. He really liked Cass.

Damian pulled his hand away. “Is this meant to be my life now?” he asked the ceiling, “Mockery and ridicule from all sides? Including from my soulmate?” He narrowed his eyes at Colin on the last part. He wasn’t mad, he was just pretending to be. Colin was glad he could tell.

“You are too serious.” Cass said, resting her hand on her chin. “Can’t help it.”

“Tt. I assume Grayson has filled you in on everything, as usual?”

Cass pointed at them, but then Colin realized she was probably pointing at her phone that she was holding. “Group chat.”

“Of course. There are few secrets in this family.” Damian warned Colin.

“But well kept.” Cass put in. “Safe with us.” She looked at Colin. “Tell me the story?”

“What story?” Colin tilted his head.

“Yours.” She pointed at the two of them.

“Did you not just hear it from Grayson?” Damian asked.

“I want your side.”

“Oh um…yeah, I can do that.” Colin moved so he was lying on his stomach. He figured he might as well be comfy. “So a few months ago Mr. Wayne stopped by St. Aden’s and donated some money…”

Colin told the whole story, from before the party even happened. During the winter, or the wintery-spring Gotham was known for, Mr. Wayne made his first visit, and set up the fundraiser party. They, the Sisters, had spent the time in between fixing up St. Aden’s to look much nicer. Then the day of the party came. Colin told what he’d been doing, but left out the parts about how nervous he got and how he hid in the bathroom. Damian filled in parts of the story, too. Turns out he was really bored at the party after all and was going to ask his dad if they could leave early.

“But then, of course, I was introduced to Colin.”

“Uh-huh,” Colin agreed, “And then Mr. Wayne made me his ward and now I live here.”

Cass had listened quietly the whole time. She didn’t make a lot of faces, the same as Damian, but still Colin saw the little ways she expressed herself. “Intense two days, huh?”

Colin blinked in surprise. “Two days? Has it really only been two days?” He looked at Damian with surprise.

He shrugged. “Technically it’s only been a day and half, at best.”

“Really?” Colin couldn’t believe it. “It feels like it’s been longer…but in a good way!”

“I know what you mean.” Damian stared at him for a moment. “It is hard to think of my life before you were in it.”

“Yeah…”

Cass softly coughed.

“Ah!” Colin turned away from them, fluffing his own hair in embarrassment. “We can’t keep doing this staring thing! We’re gonna look like goobers!”

“Goobers?” Damian repeated. “Which generation are you from again?”

Colin turned around and started poking his shoulder. “Not. The. Point. Dames.”

“Boys.”

They both looked at Cass, who was watching them with a small smile.

Damian frowned. “What’s wrong?”

Blinking, Colin looked between the two. He felt confused. “Huh?”

“Damian knows me.” Cass sighed. “What happened with Tim?”

“...how did you know?” Colin asked, shocked.

She pointed at Damian. “Shoulders.”

Damian looked away, rolling his shoulders once. “Tt.”

“You could tell just because of Damian’s shoulders?” That was really impressive.

“I cannot deny her skillset. And I suppose she is familiar with me by now.” he crossed his arms. “You didn’t hear about this from Grayson?”

“Not yet.” Cass raised her eyebrows. “Spill.”

Damian groaned. When he was filling her in Colin moved himself so he was sitting with his knees tucked against him. Hearing everything again brought back the nerves Colin had felt before.

“No. It’s not your fault.” Cass said after he was done.

“Tt, Grayson seems to think it is. Colin is my soulmate, and no matter what Drake is going through I was going to defend him. He shouldn’t have lashed out like that.”

Cass raised her eyebrows again, looking at Colin.

“I told him about Kent…don’t tell Father.” Damian looked a little nervous.

She pretended to zip her lips. “If you trust Colin, I do. I’ll talk to Dick.”

“Thanks.” Colin said, gratefully. “Cass, what should I do? I want to be friends with Damian’s family, and that means Tim, too. Can’t I do anything to make him like me?”

Cass was quiet for a minute, with her chin in her hand. “Tim is good, under the pain. Let him set the pace. Be kind. He’ll open up.”

“He did ask us if we’d play a board game with him sometime.” Colin looked at Damian but not for long. “I don’t know if he still wants to…or if you do, Damian.”

Damian wasn’t looking at them.

“Little Brother.” Cass didn’t sound mad. Colin wasn’t sure how she sounded.

“...I’m still angry at him.”

“You carry anger like others carry water.”

“I know.”

“You don’t need it.”

“I know.” Damian almost whined. “I will put it aside. Later. If Drake wants to make an effort then I will let him.”

When Cass sighed she also smiled at him. Colin guessed they’d talked about this kind of thing before. It was nice to see how close they were.

“I have to go.” Cass pulled her phone closer to her, it looked like she was typing on it. “Wish I had more time.”

“Will you be home soon?” Damian almost seemed disappointed.

“Soon.” she agreed. Then she gave Colin another smile and he thought again about how pretty she is. “Take care of him.”

“I will.” He only realized how serious he sounded when Damian made that noise of his again.

“Take care, Cassandra.”

“Bye, Cass!”

She must have said goodbye, but it was in a language Colin didn’t know. Next thing Colin knew the screen was back to Damian’s contact list, and his soulmate was closing the laptop.

—--

While Damian had missed Cassandra and was happy to hear from her, and introduce her to Colin, he was glad that it was late enough for him to send Colin off to bed. Colin was right that the last twenty-four odd hours had seemed to be much longer than they were. Half in part of that long night Damian had spent waiting to find out if Colin would live with them or not, and half because of the way Drake behaved. More than anything he wanted to put Colin into bed for a good night’s rest so he could assure himself that his soulmate was safe and settled.

Damian sat on the chair in Colin’s room with Alfred curled up and purring on his lap. Titus lay at the foot of the chair, resting. They were waiting for Colin to get back from his shower in the hall’s bathroom. Damian remembered the bashful way Colin had asked him how to turn the shower on and smiled. Apparently St. Aden's only had a bathtub. Damian showed him how to adjust the temperature and the water pressure, then lent him some hygiene products. He would have to inform Pennyworth that Colin would need his own when the butler next went shopping.

He looked up when Colin came in. His soulmate had brought a pair of his sleep clothes that Pennyworth had put away for him, a t-shirt and pants with pictures of kittens on them, with him and he wore them now. He also had a towel draped over his head. His hair was still wet, the ginger locks darker and clinging to his head.

“Your hair is wet…” Damian said, ineloquently. He wasn’t sure why the sight was making his stomach feel…odd.

“Oh. Yeah. I guess I’m used to the Sisters drying my hair. They always asked to do it, but uh…I guess I should’ve started doing it myself.” Colin looked slightly embarrassed as he tried to rub the towel into his hair and not having much success.

“I can help with that.” They both looked up when Father walked in. “Here, Colin.” He knelt in front of him and took the towel in his hands, then gently started drying his hair.

“Th-Thank you, Mr. Wayne.” Colin said bashfully. “I-I’ll do it myself from now on.”

“Oh I don’t mind.” Father gently smiled. “You know Colin, you can call me Bruce if you like.”

Colin’s head flew up, making Father’s hands still. He was staring at Father with wide eyes, shocked.

“The other kids do.” he said as he nudged Colin around to reach the back of his head. “Tilt your head.” His hand tilted Colin’s chin up before he went back to drying it.

“I-I…” Colin fiddled with his fingers. “I don’t know if I could call you that…”

“Oh? Why not?” Father glanced at Damian. “Can you grab the comb from Colin’s dresser for me?” He nodded at it with his head.

Damian returned the nod and gently pushed Alfred from his lap, much to the cat’s chagrin.

In the moment’s pause Colin must have thought of his answer. “Cause you’re a grown up and I’m not. It would feel…weird.”

Father chuckled. “The two of you will be grown up soon enough. Thank you.” He took the comb from Damian, and grunted as he stood up from where he was kneeling. “Sooner than I would like, anyway. C’mere.” He sat on Colin’s bed and pulled the towel away so he could comb his hair. “Eight years isn’t long enough…” he sighed.

Damian pushed down a sudden and ridiculous feeling of jealousy. Whether it was at Father for getting to dote on his soulmate or at Colin for getting his father’s attention, he didn’t know. Either way, he intended to ignore it. “Why don’t you want us to grow?”

“I never said that. I’m looking forward to seeing who the two of you will end up becoming. You will be adults for the majority of your lives. Childhood is brief. I want you to be able to look back at these times and treasure them. There.” Finished with Colin’s hair, he ran his hand over it. It lingered on the back of his head. “That’s why I’m sorry about the fight you had with Tim. That shouldn’t have happened on your first night.”

“Don’t be sorry.” Colin sounded almost sad, and Damian didn’t like it at all. “I just…want Tim to like me someday.”

“He will. It might take time, but I know it will happen.”

“Tt.” Damian crossed his arms.

Father looked at him, a bit of playfulness in his eyes. “Alright, your turn.” He held up the comb with one and beckoned him with the other.

Damian felt his eyebrow raise. “I can comb my own hair.”

“Just humor your old man, would you?”

He paused. Then he rolled his eyes and stepped toward his Father. Perhaps Grayson was right and Father did miss having a new child in the house. It didn’t help that Damian had kept him at arm’s length when he first arrived. Still…

Since Damian’s hair was shorter Father quickly ran the comb through it. At least at first, then he started to quickly comb it the wrong way. Toward his forehead instead of away from it.

“Fath-er!” Damian protested, grabbing at the man’s hands even as he heard him laugh. The next thing he knew there were arms around him and he was pulled in against a strong chest. He had to turn his head to the side so he could speak. “You’re acting as insufferable as Grayson!”

“Am I?” Father asked unrepentantly, pressing his face into Damian’s hair. “It can’t be helped, it’s nice to spend time with you. Brings something out in me.”

Damian huffed quietly, but didn’t try to get away. His hands pushing against Father’s chest were mostly for show. It was nice, being held. Not that he would ever admit it. He could smell the detergent Pennyworth used on their laundry, and there was still a hint of the cologne Father chose for his appearances in public. Both scents subtle and clean, which Damian was thankful for because he had a sensitive nose. He could have let himself be held for a long time.

That is until he heard Colin sigh, softly and happily. Looking over, he saw the redhead smiling serenely at them.

That was more than enough of that.

With a bit more force he pushed away his father. “You’re embarrassing me in front of my soulmate.”

“No he’s not.” Colin said, fond exasperation in his voice. “I think it’s sweet.”

“Tt.” He shooed Father’s arms away enough so that he could step back.

“Oh don’t ‘tt’ at me,” Colin smirked, “It’s just us here, Dames. You don’t have to be embarrassed.”

Damian couldn’t help blinking in surprise. Whether it was because Colin had mimicked him so well or because he had a very valid point, Damian decided to just let him have this victory. For now.

Father rubbed his jaw, but a small smile still showed. “So it’s ‘Dames’ now?”

The nerve snapped half a second before Damian found his finger pointed at his father’s nose. “That is my nickname that Colin chose for me. No one else gets to call me that.”

There was a moment of silence, where he used every ounce of his self control to stop him from reacting to his unexpected outburst. He didn’t move his finger, even when Father stood and ruffled his hair. “Okay, Damian. Whatever you say.”

Though he wanted to feel embarrassed at his actions, he instead turned to point at Colin instead. He could hide it under indignation. His soulmate had both hands covering his mouth and was trembling from holding in laughter. “And don’t you laugh at me.”

“I’m not, I’m not!” Colin clasped his hands behind his back and moved past him toward his bed. From behind his fringe his dark green eyes sparkled. “I mean I get it, I wouldn’t want anyone else calling me by the nickname you picked either.”

Damian fought the blush that threatened to appear on his cheeks and pointed forcefully at the bed. “Go to sleep, Colin.”

“Yes, Sister Damian.” Colin teased. Pulling back the covers, he climbed into bed.

Father moved as if he would tuck Colin in, but Damian intercepted him. “I’ll do that, thank you.”

The man merely held his hands up, palms out in surrender and walked over to the dresser to put the comb away.

Colin was already mostly situated when Damian lifted the covers over him. “Do you have everything you need?” he asked, letting the remaining ire leave him. “Do you have Rory?”

“He’s right here.” Colin patted the spot next to him, where his stuffed bear’s head was resting on one of the two smaller pillows. “I should thank Alfred for unpacking my stuff for me tomorrow. It was nice of him.”

“I’ll remind you.” Damian assured. He had seen Colin’s box of clippings on the end table earlier, and it hadn’t occurred to him that Pennyworth would have unpacked Colin’s room while he was showing him around. The man deserved thanks for his consideration.

Colin yawned, pressing the back of his hand to his mouth. Damian let himself smile as he felt affection warming him. “I’ll be just across the hall if you need me.”

He was gifted a smile in return. “And I’m here if you need me.”

Damian couldn’t see when that would be necessary, but he appreciated the thought. “Sleep well, Colin.”

A pale, freckled hand reached out to him. “You too, Damian.”

Damian took his hand and squeezed it gently before setting it down on the bed. It was easier to turn away from him this time, because in the morning Colin would be near when he woke. They’d only be apart for the night.

When he joined Father at the door he was surprised when he asked, “Would you like the door to be cracked?”

“Oh! Yes, thank you Mr. Wayne.” Colin shyly waved. “Goodnight.”

“Goodnight, Colin. We’ll see you in the morning.” Father reached over Damian and turned off the light.

Damian called for his pets. Alfred stretched before jumping from the chair. Titus must have been dozing because he lifted his head and looked around for Damian before getting up and going out the door. Damian gave Colin one more glance in time to see him cuddling Rory before he too left. Father did as Colin asked and left the door open just the tiniest bit.

Before he could say anything, Father lifted a finger to his lips. There was a seriousness in the set of his brow. He made a silent hand gesture like he would do if they were on patrol. This one meant ‘let’s reconvene’. Without a word he followed after him toward his office.

He and Colin had passed the double doors on their tour. Damian told him where they lead, and thankfully Colin seemed to understand that it was an important place but that Damian didn’t want to answer questions. After all, how could Damian talk about Father’s office with the grandfather clock in the corner ever present? Or worse, what if someone had come up from the Cave while they were in there? Avoiding it then had been the right choice.

Father closed the doors behind them. Damian moved to the clock on reflex. He reached up to the hands on the clock face, still and unmoving. It still irked him that couldn’t reach them without standing on his toes.

“Tim is benched tonight.”

Damian’s hand stilled, the minute hand barely moved an inch from where it had been. He looked at his Father over his shoulder, coming back down onto his feet.

“With Dick back in Bludhaven and Jason still benched, I’ll need you out with me for a few hours. If you get back by one you can still get eight hours of sleep before breakfast at nine.”

“Very well…” Damian lowered his arm, unsure if he should say more. He noticed how his father leaned back against the doors, looking at the unlit fireplace as if there was something he was still thinking of. “I thought…” Blue eyes turned to him. “I…assumed the issue with Drake was resolved at dinner?” He hadn’t meant for it to come out as a question, but he also hadn’t expected Drake to get punished by Father, either.

Father approached the clock in no hurry. “Tim hurting Colin will be fully settled when Tim can let go of his stubbornness and give a sincere apology. Assuming Colin accepts it.”

“He will.” Damian had to side with his soulmate in this.

“Mm.” Father grunted, agreeing without words. “However the way Tim acted at dinner is another thing. One of many things that I’ve...let slide since I’ve been home.”

It was hard to resist the urge to be smug. After all, he’d been saying as much for a while now. Yet Damian felt…uneasy. “Should I not be punished as well? I am as much at fault as he is.”

Father shook his head. “You were defending Colin. He’s your soulmate, no one blames you for how you acted. I’d prefer if things didn’t escalate that far in the future, but you were justified. Tim knew he was in the wrong, and he should’ve known better than to speak to you like that. He’s taking tonight to cool his head, and get it together.”

They’d been face to face while he spoke, but Damian found himself looking away. He was tired, tired of his issues with Drake, tired of this whole thing. He wanted to be able to enjoy having his soulmate in his life just as anyone else would.

“It isn’t fair…” he admitted.

Father’s hand moved to touch his shoulder. “I’ll talk to Tim, ask him not to–”

Damian intercepted his Father’s hand, gently pushing it away. “It isn’t fair to Drake,” he clarified, “the position he’s in. I…I never intended to further his pain.”

Father was soon kneeling and turning his head so he was facing him. “You’ve done nothing wrong, Damian.” he said fiercely. “You and Colin finding each other is a blessing for the two of you, not a punishment for Tim. I won’t let him, or you, make you think otherwise. The timing never would have been good. If you’d met Colin next year it still would have been too soon. And that is not your fault.”

Damian wanted to sag against Father and cling to him. Even if he’d said as much to Colin earlier, hearing it from the one person who mattered more to him nearly made him collapse in relief. But he kept his footing, as he was sure Father could feel some of the tension leaving him.

Large hands rested on his shoulders. “We’ve done what we can for Tim while he’s been grieving. It’s time for him to start doing things for himself now. You let me worry about making sure that happens, okay?”

“Don’t count me out of this.” he said hurriedly, grasping Father’s wrists, “I can help, too!”

In the quiet after his outburst he wondered if Father also remembered him saying those same words a year ago. Back then, when Drake was still Robin, he’d wanted to join them on Gotham’s streets. If he was to live with Father from then on, he wanted to try to understand his Father’s cause, even though he was still too much under Mother’s influence to really understand where he was coming from. Now here he was again, trying to convince this man to let him be a part of something that was bigger and more important than he was. He couldn’t help wondering if yet again Father thought he wasn’t ready.

Father pressed a kiss to the top of his head, and Damian listened to his words with the same reverence he listened to Batman. “You really want to help? Let Tim win. If he starts a petty fight, let him have the last word. Tim isn’t like you, winning won’t make him feel any better. And if he wants to offer you an olive branch? Take it. Don’t let temporary pride push away a permanent ally. If you can’t do it for you, then do it for Colin. I know you can.”

Chapter 10

Chapter Text

There were birds chirping. They were singing such a sweet song, like nothing Colin had ever heard before. He felt himself pressing a smile into his pillow as he nuzzled into it. ‘They don’t sound like pigeons.’ he thought. That made him wake more, his eyes opening just a bit.

These weren’t his sheets, or his blankets. There was sunlight coming in, but from three big windows, not just one. Colin slowly kicked his legs around but he didn’t find the edge until he really stretched. Everything was soft and clean, and didn’t smell like the cleaner the Sisters used.

Colin sat up and looked around, finally waking up all the way. ‘Oh yeah. I’m in Damian’s house. In my new room.’ He should’ve realized. Last night when he was falling asleep he couldn’t believe how comfy the bed was. It felt like a cloud and Colin fell asleep easier than he ever did before.

“Mrrow…”

Turning around, Colin saw Alfred the cat curled up on the pillow above where his head had been. With a stretch and a yawn, he looked like he just woke up, too.

“Aw. Good morning, Alfie.” Colin reached over to pet his head. “Did you sleep with me last night? That’s so sweet of you.”

Alfred the cat leaned into his hand, rubbing his cheek on his palm. Before Colin knew it he was lying back down, with a kitty lying on his chest in loaf form. Colin used both hands to pet along his back, the purrs rumbling against his chest.

“You’re so cute. But I gotta get up now. I wanna see Damian and tell him good morning.” Colin bit his lip, then whispered. “He’s my soulmate, you know. Someday when we’re grown up, we’ll share a room and I won’t have to go far to wake him up.” A blush warmed his face. He’d known for a long time that soulmates share rooms, and beds, but this was the first time he realized that that would be him and Damian some day. “Not for a long time, though.”

Yellow eyes opened and Alfred the cat looked at him. Colin couldn’t help thinking about how smart cats are, if maybe this cat knew exactly what he was thinking.

“Will you let me up?” he nudged his furry side gently.

He got a quiet meow as an answer, but after a bit more nudging the cat did move off his chest. With his tail up he jumped off the bed and squeezed through the bedroom door that was still cracked.

“So that’s how you got in.” Colin pulled the covers off and slid off the edge of the bed. He wasn’t used to how high it was, and remembered how he had to climb onto it last night. When both feet were on the ground he turned to fix his covers as best he could, before pushing open his door and going out into the hall. Without a clock in his room, Colin didn’t know what time it was. He hoped it was seven thirty or eight, because he didn’t want to make Damian get up too early like the St. Aden kids did to him. So far that was one nice thing about living at Damian’s house.

There was some light coming from the windows in the hall, enough that Colin guessed it was early. He moved to Damian’s door, where Alfred the cat was sitting and staring at the handle, like he thought someone was going to open it. He even meowed when Colin got close.

“Shhh!” The cat’s ear twitched. “I have to knock first. That’s the rule.” Colin knocked twice and waited. He didn’t hear anything, so he slowly opened the door. Alfred the Cat slid inside, but Colin just peeked his head around the door.

It was very dark in Damian’s room. He had the curtains closed, and Colin could only just see that Damian was lying on his bed. He opened the door more and took a few steps in, remembering how the room looked when he saw it yesterday. To the right was Damian’s desk, he had a map of the world with pins in it hanging on a bulletin board over it. There was a tall shelf to the left, full of all kinds of books, even ones that only grown ups would read. Hanging up on the wall were almost two dozen swords and knives, from all over the world. Damian told him they were decorative. Colin told him they were awesome.

Colin tip-toed closer to the bed, but stopped when a big shape lifted its head to stare at him. In the dark he could see pointed ears and two eyes shining creepily as they stared at him. Colin almost screamed, but then remembered that Damian had a giant dog and felt like a dummy. Especially when he started to see better and saw Titus’ tail wagging lightly.

“Shhh.” he said to the dog. When he was next to Damian’s bed he leaned close so he could see his soulmate. Only Damian’s hair, forehead, and closed eyes were showing. Colin pulled himself on to the edge of the bed, his legs hanging off the side. He reached over to touch Damian’s shoulder. Before he could–

“Hello, Colin…” Damian’s voice sounded sleepy, and one eye opened to look at him.

“Good morning, Dames.” Colin gave him a smile. “Sorry, did I wake you up?”

“You have a lot to learn before you’d be able to sneak up on me. I heard you come in.” Damian sat up, running a hand through his hair. “It’s early.” He pointed at a small clock on his bedside table.

“Eight fifteen is early?” Colin kicked his feet in the air, happy to watch Damian stretch.

“For us it is. Breakfast isn’t until nine.”

“Who makes breakfast?”

“Pennyworth, of course. As if he would let anyone else cook.”

“Well maybe Allfred wants some help.”

That made Damian pause. “Help?”

“Sure!” Colin pushed himself so he could hop down to the ground. “Maybe he’d appreciate it. And I like helping. You never asked before?”

“It…didn’t occur to me.” Damian tilted his head, giving Colin a funny smile. “Very well. Let us go assist Pennyworth.”

—--

Colin could do with an entirely new wardrobe. The thought came to Damian as they were walking to the kitchen together. Colin was wearing a Flash t-shirt that was no longer red, but more of an off red, with the logo nearly completely faded away. His jeans were also old, with unintentional holes in the knees, unlike Todd who bought them already torn. There was nothing wrong with Colin’s choice in clothing, but what little he brought with him from St. Aden’s were clearly second or possibly even third hand.

Colin gave him a smile over his shoulder before hurrying ahead of him down the stairs, Titus and Alfred following him. Well…the clothes didn’t detract from him that much.

“Good morning, Alfred!” Colin called out as he walked in. He moved to climb onto one of the tall stools by the central kitchen island. Damian resisted the protective urge to help him. He didn’t need the help, and was soon swinging his legs back and forth from his perch.

“Good morning, Master Colin. Master Damian. The two of you are up early today.” Pennyworth was moving from the stove top to the refrigerator while pausing only long enough to give them eye contact. The man was in his element.

“We’ve come to assist you with breakfast.” Damian sat on the stool next to Colin, climbing up with a more practiced ease.

That got the butler to fully stop and look at them. He wiped his hands on a dishtowel. “Oh you have?” One eyebrow was raised with amusem*nt.

“It was my idea. I always helped at St. Aden’s. I figured it was good manners to ask, since it seems like you do everything around here.” Colin tilted his head to the side, and Damian wondered if it was a purposeful action.

“Well…it is nice to see that someone understands the effort it takes to keep this house up and running.”

“I understand that too, Pennyworth.”

“Now, now. No need to pout, young sir.” He reached over the island to tap his nose with a finger. “I was mainly referring to your father, after all. But I’m sure you knew that.”

Damian let out an amused sound. “So?”

“If the two of you wish to lend a hand I suppose I could be amenable to that. Master Colin if you’d set out the plates and utensils,” he turned to lift the plates from the other counter and set them in front of Colin, “while Master Damian fetches the beverages from the fridge.” Pennyworth paused, looking down at Titus who had sat himself at his feet and looked up at him, his tongue lolling out. “Perhaps you can also feed the rabble while you’re here, hm?”

With all but a salute they set to their tasks. Damian was surrounded by furry faces as soon as he pulled out their food, and Colin was moving back and forth from the table to the counter, careful not to carry too much at once. Pennyworth, meanwhile, began making pancakes, which caused Colin’s eyes to light up in poorly disguised joy.

About fifteen minutes after they started Father walked in. He yawned into his fist, pushing back his hair with the other hand. “Good morning.”

“Coffee, Sir?”

“Please. As strong as you can make it.” He stretched, pulling one arm against his chest and then the other before moving to the kitchen table, which sat six rather than sixteen. Damian wondered if Father’s back was bothering him this morning. He usually finished his morning stretches in his room before joining them.

Pennyworth had already had a pot of coffee brewing, prepared as he was. Bringing the pot and a mug to the table he poured one for Father. “The boys have been helping me prepare for breakfast.”

Father looked up, seeming to notice them for the first time. “You have?”

“Uh-huh!” Colin hurried over to him and set down utensils by his plate. “Alfred’s making pancakes!”

“He is? Dick will be heartbroken he’s missing them, then.” He ruffled Colin’s hair before giving him a light, encouraging push when he turned to go back toward the counter.

“I will have to send him pictures.” Damian took out a pitcher each of orange juice and lemonade and brought them over to the table.

“That’s mean.” Colin said around a smile, sitting down at the table next to Father.

“Yes, and?” Giving his soulmate a smirk, Damian sat on Father’s other side and reached under the table with his foot to tap Colin’s leg. He didn’t know what possessed him to do it, but the redhead brought out a playfulness in him.

“Hey.” Colin tapped him back, a grin on his face.

“Boys.” Father spoke calmly around the rim of his mug. Damian could hear the amusem*nt in his tone.

“Oops. Sorry.” Colin’s smile turned sheepish.

“I’m not.” Damian said just to be contrary.

“Troublemaker.” Father said fondly.

“Ah, the energy of youth.” Pennyworth shook his head, setting down a plate stacked high with pancakes. “Help yourselves. I’ll bring the syrups.”

“There’s more than one syrup?” Colin was leaning over, trying valiantly to spear a pancake with his fork. Father stepped in and grabbed it for him, and then a second when he asked.

Damian paused in getting his own helping at his words. “Please don’t tell me the only syrup you’ve tried is that horrid American pretend maple.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Everything. Colin you haven’t lived.” he said, with emphasis.

Pennyworth’s mustache was tilting up in the corners as he set each of the three syrups the family preferred down on the table. “And you accuse your brother of being dramatic.” Pennyworth was of course subtly referring to Todd rather than Grayson or Drake. The black sheep of the family has been known to go on.

“I’m offended at the accusation, Pennyworth. I am nothing like him.”

Father set three pancakes on his plate and passed him the blueberry syrup, his favorite. “Eat your breakfast, Damian. Here Colin, try the strawberry.” Damian had to hold back from saying ‘I told you so’ when Colin loved it.

Almost without them noticing, Drake came into the kitchen moments later. He seemed hesitant to enter.

“Good morning, Master Tim.” Pennyworth greeted him from the sink, where he was washing the pan he’d cooked in.

“Morning, Tim.” Father nodded to him, making an obvious effort to show that there was no animosity left from dinner yesterday. Colin waved shyly, but Damian purposefully didn’t look at him. With how unpredictable the teen was, it was best to not interact with him and risk his ire, as Father suggested last night.

“Hi..” Drake quietly said. He came up to the table to grab a single pancake and put some maple syrup on it, then he picked up his plate and utensils and moved to the kitchen island. Pennyworth subtly looked at him while he dried his hands, before sending a raised eyebrow in Father’s direction.

Father cleared his throat. “Tim? Wouldn’t you rather sit with us…?” His tone was gently encouraging.

Drake paused for barely a moment. “...I’m fine here.”

Damian noticed the way Father’s face fell, which meant he must be deeply saddened to have let it show. “If that’s what you want.” He made eye contact with Pennyworth and subtly shrugged his shoulders. “Alfred put on channel seven, please.”

Pennyworth must have sighed through his nose, but Damian wasn’t near enough to hear it. The butler reached for the remote control on top of the fridge and pointed it at the small flatscreen that was mounted near the ceiling. When channel seven came on it showed a logo for a show called Mornings With Missy that would be on next.

“Who’s Missy?” Colin asked, taking a sip of his orange juice.

“Shannon’s new mother.” Father answered. “She called yesterday, along with every news station and paper you can think of. I told her I’d ask if the two of you would be interested in an interview, but didn’t promise anything. I want to see what she’s like, and what better way than by watching her show?”

“Who is Shannon?” Pennyworth asked, coming to stand by the table.

“My friend from St. Aden’s. She was the oldest one there after me. But I guess that’s Rosita now, since Shannon got adopted.” Colin tapped his chin. “You know what, I think I wanna find out what she’s like, too.”

“I’m sensing some protectiveness.” Father raised a brow.

Colin shifted in his seat, shrugging one shoulder. “I’ve always looked out for the younger kids. No reason to stop now.” he mumbled. Damian lightly touched his foot to Colin’s under the table. His soulmate sent him a smile and tapped him back.

They paused their conversation as the commercial ended and Mornings With Missy started. The logo and theme music appeared, and then they showed a pan of the audience who were standing and applauding. Walking down the center aisle was a woman with a short, pixie brunette haircut wearing a colorful pantsuit. She smiled and waved widely at the people she passed by until she stepped onto the stage and turned to them.

“Good morning, everybody!” she cheered.

The audience called back, “Good morning, Missy!”

“So everybody we have some very exciting topics to talk about today, including some local Gotham news.” At that the audience burst into applause again. “That’s right, it’s probably what you’re all thinking. But before that, I have personal news that I just have to share with you.” She moved to sit in the large armchair sat in the center of the stage. “Now I’m sure you remember that I’ve been talking about me and the Mrs. adoption journey. For the last year and half we’ve filled out applications and taken classes, had home visits and all the rest. Last month, we got full approval to bring home a child of our own. It was very important to us that we find a child who needed a home, instead of any other means. We were invited to Bruce Wayne’s Meet the Children event at St. Aden’s Home For Children, and that was where we met…'' she paused, turning her chair and gesturing up at the wall of screens behind her, “our new baby girl.”

A chorus of “Aw…” came from the audience as the screen showed a picture of Missy, another woman with blonde curly hair who must have been her wife, and sitting between them, with her arms around them and a big smile, was Colin’s friend Shannon.

“That’s Shannon!” Colin whispered, tugging lightly on Pennyworth’s sleeve to get his attention.

“I see,” Pennyworth nodded his head indulgently. “How lovely that another family grew thanks to that event.”

Missy continued, “Guys, we just love her. She was so sweet and polite when she asked us if there was any watermelon left at the buffet. We sat and talked to her for over an hour. We just clicked.” She put her hands over her heart, her blue eyes almost watering. “Ah, I’m going to cry again! All three of us were crying off and on all day yesterday. I hope she and Belle will come on the show soon, but you all know my rule about kids. And speaking of kids…”

“Tt. Was that meant to be a segue?” Damian rolled his eyes.

“...let’s talk about Gotham’s newest celebrity couple right after this commercial break!” With a wink and a smile, and the audience applause, they cut to a commercial.

“She seems nice.” Colin said, his head tilted.

“What’s wrong?” Damian noticed there was an odd tone to Colin’s voice.

“You didn’t notice?” Father asked, finishing his mug of coffee.

“Notice?”

“Shannon’s eyes.” Colin said, a light frown on his face. “They were black in that picture.”

Damian’s thoughts came together when he heard that. “They’re hiding that she has a soulmate.”

Father nodded. “Either they edited the picture or asked her to wear contacts.”

“Mikey’s not gonna like that.” Colin finished the last of his pancakes and set down his fork. “Maybe they don’t think they’re a good match…”

“What makes you say that?” Damian was starting to get a bad feeling about this situation.

“I mean I don’t know it’s just…Mikey acts out sometimes. I heard Shannon’s caseworker say that they thought he was a bad influence on her. But it’s not his fault he’s like that. Anybody who lost their parents when they’re five would be, you know…” Colin trailed off, shrugging one shoulder. “He can be really nice when he wants to, I just wish he wouldn’t run away from his fosters.”

“Does he do that a lot?” Father had something in his expression that made Damian think that Mikey would be getting a visit from Batman. To make sure he was safe, of course.

“I tell him not to.” Colin huffed and crossed his arms, which Damian had not seen him do before. “He doesn’t always listen to me. But I know bad grown ups and his foster dads aren’t like that. They always come looking for him, and they get really worried. He can’t keep running around without something bad happening to him. He’s eight for heck’s sake.” His hand flew up to his mouth as soon as he said it. “I mean, for goodness sake.”

“If I had to guess,” Father cut in, “I think the Warners are only hiding her soulmate for her own safety. As you two saw,” here he looked between Damian and Colin, “being a public figure can get you a lot of attention that you might not want. They might be doing it so she can have some privacy, and as long as Shannon doesn’t mind it then they haven’t done anything illegal.”

Colin got a thoughtful expression, but before Damian could ask about it the show came back.

“Welcome back everyone!” Missy Warner waved at the camera. “So, I’m sure by now every Gothamite has heard that the youngest of the Wayne family found his soulmate two days ago. An official statement has come out from Bruce Wayne himself yesterday welcoming into their family a young boy named Colin. Now our Shannon told me that Colin is one of the nicest boys she’s ever met, and he’s everybody’s friend.”

“Aw geez, Shan…” Colin muttered, hiding his blushing face in his hands.

“So let’s all give a big cheer and congratulate Damian and Colin for finding each other!” Missy grinned and clapped while the camera panned around the audience who were also applauding again. “It’s so great! But I want to get serious for a second.” Here the audience quieted. “One of my biggest pet peeves is the press harassing kids, and I don’t need to remind you of all the crap Belle went through as a child actor. So when I saw the video of Damian Wayne and Colin being chased into St. Aden’s it made me sick. Let’s show the clip, huh?” Her face was unamused as she turned her chair so she could see the screen behind her.

Then to Colin’s clear surprise, but not Damian’s because he’d seen the clip circling around social media the last two days, they played a video taken by phone at the party of the moment the two of them had met. Whoever recorded them had had their phone following after Grayson and Drake, which meant that when they came up and found he and Colin meeting each other, so had the camera. Damian tried not to feel embarrassed at the look of open wonder and awe that had been on his own face when he met Colin’s eyes for the second time.

“Alfred,” Father said, the smallest hint of the Bat in his voice, “remind me to find out who leaked that video to the press.” Of course he already knew, and was saying this mostly for Colin’s benefit. Michelle Golber and her parents were not likely to be invited to any events hosted by the Wayne family in the near future.

“Father…he is coming home with us.” The words Damian had spoken were the last words that could be heard on the clip, because in the next moment the crowd at the party fell upon them. Damian and Colin couldn’t even be seen past all the adults around them. Then the camera turned to capture the reporters surging past the guards at the front gate, turning back in time to catch Grayson carrying the two of them up the front steps into St. Aden’s. Once they were safely inside, Father had stood on the top step to address the crowd, but the clip ended before he started speaking.

Missy Warner was sitting with her legs crossed and her hands folded, and was shaking her head lightly. “Disgraceful. Totally disgraceful. One of the most important and happy moments in anyone’s life, and those two kiddos nearly got run over for it.” The audience applauded their agreement. “If the Waynes are watching I hope the fire about all of this dies down quick.” She straightened in her chair. “Alright and when we come back we’ll be talking about a certain actor’s controversial tweet. Right after this commercial!”

“Alfred you can mute this, I’ve seen all I want to see.” Father looked thoughtful as he wove fingers together and rested his mouth on them.

“What was your impression of Ms. Warner?” Pennyworth asked as he did what Father told him.

“She seemed sincere enough when she spoke about what she thought of the press. I can get behind that.”

“She most likely said that to convince us to be on her show.” Damian disagreed.

“I mean yeah, but that’s her job.” Colin pointed out. “If she didn’t try to have an interesting show, nobody’d watch it.”

“What are you saying, exactly?” Damian raised a brow.

Colin shrugged. “She seems nice, and she’s my friend’s mom. If she wants an interview…maybe we should?”

Damian was surprised. By Father’s raised brow he could tell he was, as well. “Do you mean that, Colin?”

“Yes, keep in mind we’re under no obligation to give any of them a single moment of our time.” Damian added.

The red head bit the corner of his lip for a moment before saying, “Maybe they’ll calm down if we do it. Everybody knows you. But they don’t know me. They probably wanna know if I’m good enough for you.”

“You are good enough.”

“Damian, you're biased. You know you are.” Colin gave him a look that dared him to deny it.

“Tt.”

“Tt.” Colin gave him a playful smile after imitating him and Damian rolled his eyes.

“Boys.” Father’s voice lacked reprimand, and was only meant to get their attention. “Damian is right that we don’t owe anyone a look into our private lives. However Colin also has a valid point, too. About the talk show.” He set a hand on Colin’s shoulder. “I just hope you won’t let what anyone may say or think make you think you aren’t good enough. Your opinion of you is what matters most.”

Smiling shyly, Colin meekly looked down at the table. “Thank you, Mr. Wayne.”

Father nodded. “We’ll call Missy’s team, maybe we can set something up for later this week. The sooner the better.”

When Colin tilted his head and looked at him across the table, Damian knew it was to check and see if he was okay with this development. “If we must, I suppose there’s no harm in it. But I won’t be playing some cute or adorable persona just because we’ll be on television.”

Before Father could undoubtedly assure him that he wouldn’t have to, they heard from the kitchen island an amused snort coming out of Drake. After making the noise he must have realized he’s been caught in the act because he made a show of picking up his plate and other items and bringing them to the sink. “Bruce, I’m going to set up the…thing you wanted me to set up.” He turned around, giving Colin a quick glance, and then leaving the room before Father could give him a thank you or say anything at all.

From that glance Damian had a pretty good idea what “the thing” was. For once he was in agreement about something Drake was doing.

—--

Bruce sat in the Cave, fingers flying over the keyboard of the Bat Computer. He was finishing up the reports for the night. Thankfully the last Rogue to cause them any real kind of headache had been settled back in Arkham a week before Colin came home. So while their night was filled with dealing with the criminal element it was only routine robberies, assaults, and other forms of petty crime. Which meant he felt comfortable sending Tim and Damian up to bed even though it was only two in the morning.

Sitting back in his chair, Bruce ran his ungloved hand through his hair. He couldn’t help thinking about the talk he had with Tim when he benched him the night before. Being a competent detective didn’t mean he knew how to help his son. Seeing the pain and anger and frustration on his face and not knowing if what he was doing was helping or hurting him cut to the bone. It was only Damian admitting that he felt guilty for having a soulmate that made him feel sure he might be on the right track. Still, even then…

“Tea, Sir?” A small tray with a mug, tea bag hanging over the rim, came into view on his left. The scent of chamomile reached his nose.

Letting himself smile, Bruce took the mug in hand. “Thank you, Alfred. How’s Colin?” He took a sip of his drink, appreciating the warmth and how it would help him sleep more than the taste.

Alfred tucked the tray under his arm, his coat gone and shirt sleeves rolled up. “Snug as a bug in bed. I do hope you’ll be joining the young Masters upstairs?”

“I will, I only need to file these. Won’t take a minute.” Bruce was missing his cowl, gloves, and belt by this point. Clearly they both were ready to turn in. But there was one question on his mind. “Have you thought about what I asked?”

“If you mean the idea of taking DNA for testing Colin into the database then I am firmly in the vote of it not being necessary without telling him. I do understand Master Damian’s position of wishing to find his birth mother, or father, but I believe Colin should be the one to ask you to do this.”

What followed was a few minutes of quiet as Bruce thought Alfred’s words over. He would always be grateful for Alfred’s guidance, honesty, but most of all his friendship, especially when he was treading unfamiliar waters like this. The fact that he was already of the same opinion just showed how his good sense had rubbed off on him over the years.

He’d nearly finished his tea when the notification came on the screen that Red Hood was calling. Or more accurately, an alias of Jason’s for his personal phone. A memory resurfaced of the first ride home from St. Aden’s, when Dick had said that Jason never calls.

Bruce accepted the call, but didn’t turn the camera on. Even in the Cave he wouldn’t risk it without his cowl. “Jason.”

“Yeah, nice to hear from you too, Old Man.” Jason was sitting in a nondescript dark room, the lights coming from the monitors to his right throwing him into half shadow. He was maskless, too.

“What’s wrong?” He didn’t have to turn his head to feel the sideways look he was getting from Alfred.

“Right, cause I only call when something’s wrong.” Jason had a smile hiding some of the familiar acid between them in it. “Couldn’t just be a social call, could it?”

Even though Jason couldn’t see it, Bruce raised an eyebrow and exchanged a look with Alfred.

“Alright, alright, okay…” Bruce watched as Jason kneaded his forehead with his hand. “You know how me and Roy have some connections and leads on the dark web?”

“Yes.”

Jason paused. He bit his lip, took a breath, then let it puff out between his lips. “Someone put a mark on the kid.”

Bruce didn’t need him to elaborate. It could only be Colin he was referring to. “Go on.” He sat up in his chair, opening a new file.

“There’s this one site,” Jason turned, facing the computers, “it might as well be called “wantedposters.com” I swear. Basically anyone can put out someone’s pic and a money amount and ask for them to be brought to them dead or alive. They do want him alive, by the way.”

“Good to know.” Bruce responded dryly. Part of him felt bad for directing that kind of tone toward Jason, he always did. But this was business now, and one of his charges was in potential danger. He’d already handed his mug back to Alfred, free hand flying over the keys. “What’s the name of the site?”

“You know I’m not gonna tell you that, B.” Jason frowned, but with familiar exasperation and not real anger. “I don’t need you and your programs, or worse Barbie’s programs, trying to track these creeps down and scaring them off this place and into the wind. As long as they think this is safe, I can keep track of them.”

Knowing Jason was right and being happy with it weren’t going to go hand in hand this time. “So Master Colin has a bounty on his head, essentially?” Alfred asked, most likely to stop any possible argument between them starting.

“Hey, Al.” Jason gave the camera a half smile, his other hand working at his own set up. “You’re half right. Whoever sets up the mark will put up an amount they’d be willing to pay, then whatever creep is interested asks for so much down. So if the job is worth a thousand they can ask for a hundred down and a claim on the full amount. More than one person can put a claim on the money at once, though.”

Bruce’s brow furrowed, intrigued despite himself. “How would that work?”

“The money goes into a kind of limbo, where neither of them has it. If one of the people comes through and delivers the mark, the person who put the mark up can have the rest of the money go through. Through secondary sources, of course. Can’t have anybody knowing that you earned your paycheck by kidnapping ten year olds or politicians. That just won’t do.”

Bruce let his mouth quirk up at the corner. It was nice to hear Jason falling into his usual brand of sarcasm. “So the kidnappers have no guarantee that they’ll be paid.”

“No, but they also can’t go running to the cops crying about how they got cheated out of their cut of ransom money.”

“Mm.” Bruce agreed with a hum. His hands stilled over the keyboard, the little information he had already in place. “Who put up the mark?”

Jason sat back in his computer chair, his mouth tilted to one side. It was the face he made when he was trying to puzzle something out. “See, that’s what’s got me and Roy scratching our heads. Believe it or not there are big names on this site, like Black Mask. They can get verified, even. So people will know it’s him, and, because enough people have complained, probably, his profile warns that he’s quick to anger and quick to shoot. But it also says that he follows through on his payments. And it’s not just him, or mobsters. Penguin’s got an account, Two-Face, Clayface, you name it. This guy who put a mark on the kid, he has no activity on the account before this, no identifying info, hell even his screen name is just random letters.”

“So how did he catch your eye in the first place?”

“‘Cause he’s offering half a mil.”

Bruce blinked in surprise. “Hm…” Lacing his fingers together, he rested his mouth against them.

“They must intend to ransom the boy for quite a lot of money, if they’re offering so much just for him to be brought to them.” Alfred said, the pointer finger of the hand he rested on Bruce’s chair tapping the slow rhythm it usually did when he was thinking deeply.

“I don’t know…” Jason had set his phone down, and now he was crossing his arms. “Something ‘bout this don’t smell right to me. Who’d have the money to do this if they weren’t a big name? But if they were big name, why be anonymous? It’s not adding up.”

“Give me the username. It could be a code.”

Jason rolled his eyes. “Could say “please”, you know.” His hand reached toward the screen so he could scroll up. “It’s ‘wks-exm-sb#2.7’. All lowercase. It doesn’t come up in any database we have.”

“I’ll run it through mine just to be sure. Have you checked to see if anyone not registered to the site has been active recently?”

For half a second Jason paused. Then he started working at his own keyboard. “Well sh*t, when you have a good point you have a good point.” He ignored both Alfred and Bruce when they reprimanded him for his language. It’d been years since he listened to anyone telling him not to swear, though he does refrain from using the worst ones around Alfred if he can help it. “Okay…Harley and Ivy are underground, haven’t been heard from in weeks. Some of Scarecrow’s goons were spotted in the Narrows a few weeks ago, but no sign of him. Dick told you about Zsasz being seen in Bludhaven, right?”

“He did.”

“Right, and that just leaves Talia because everyone else is in jail or Arkham. So…you think Mommy Dearest is trying to snatch up her kid’s soulmate?”

“It wouldn’t surprise me, but I haven’t been able to contact her. I thought it would be easier than–”

“Whoa whoa whoa whoa!” Jason made a T with his hands. “Back up. You’ve been trying to contact Talia? You?”

Bruce let out a breath through his nose. “She’s his mother. Even if they hadn’t gone viral, meaning she most likely already knows, she deserves the decency of being told.”

“Does she, though?”

“Regardless, if she was upset about this she would have made contact by now. My guess is she’s way off the grid and can’t do anything about it, good or bad. I already have contingencies for the next time she shows up.”

The three of them lapsed into silence for a few minutes. During that time Bruce put the screen name into his database, looking for anything that was similar up to sixty percent. He’d have to look through the results when they loaded manually to see what he could discern from them.

“...what are you gonna do about the kid?”

Bruce looked up. Jason wasn’t looking at his phone, instead quietly working away on his end. Bruce took a moment to appreciate the way Jason was here, talking to him and working with him again. It wasn’t the first time it happened since he’d come back, but still just as much of a miracle to him.

Jason continued when he didn’t respond. “You can’t let him go out. He’ll get snatched in two minutes.”

“Master Bruce,” Alfred interjected, with a slight tone of disapproval, “asked me to take Master Colin clothes shopping. Not to mention the interview with Ms. Warner and you promised him a visit to St. Aden’s.”

Bruce raised a hand. “It’s alright, Alfred. I’m not going to keep Colin prisoner in the house. He can still be a normal kid.” He chose to ignore Jason’s frown. “We’ll take every precaution we can.”

Chapter 11

Chapter Text

Even the rain sounded different at Wayne Manor. Colin was sitting at the desk in his room, his arms folded and his head resting on them. He watched the rain run down the windows, the water drops making patterns he couldn’t keep track of. In the city you could hear the water drop onto rooftops and concrete and the metal of a street light or mailbox. The sound of a car driving by would be followed by the sound of a wave from a puddle splashing up on the sidewalk. Out here, it was another story. With all the trees and plants around the manor, the sound of rain just was that bit different. The only thing that was the same was that the rain meant Colin was stuck inside.

Sighing, Colin looked to his left. That’s where he put down the cell phone. His cell phone. He still couldn’t believe he had one that belonged to him. Cell phones cost a lot of money. Especially one of these kinds, even if Colin didn’t know what kind it was. New things were always worth more money.

He got it on Monday, his second day at the manor. After Alfred’s amazing pancake breakfast, Damian and Colin were sent off to do whatever they wanted. Damian pulled him and his pets into the media room. Titus was supposed to rest after eating, so he wouldn’t get something called “bloat”, but Alfred the Cat needed some more attention. So Colin learned where the cat toys were and how to play with them.

They were sitting on the floor near the giant couch. Damian had smiled while he watched his cat kick the crud out of the toy he had between his front paws with his back paws. “He’s much calmer now. Alfred grew up on the streets as a kitten, and he used to be vicious when playing…” He stopped to peer around Colin. Colin looked over his shoulder.

Tim was standing in the doorway. He looked between them before looking at the two phones he had in each hand. “Are you two busy?” he asked.

“Um…” Colin noticed Damian went back to playing with Alfred the Cat, but that he seemed wary. “No, we’re not too busy. What’s up?”

Tim waited a second to see if Damian would say anything. When he didn’t, Tim walked up to Colin and held out one of the phones to him. “Here.”

Colin blinked, but took it. The screen was dark, but clean, and Colin was careful not to get his fingerprints on it.

Fidgeting, Tim turned the screen of the other phone on, then off, then put it away in his pocket. He looked over Colin’s head to Damian. “It’s all set up. So…” he shrugged.

Damian sat up from where he was lying on the floor. He looked at the phone in Colin’s hands and nodded once.

“All the contacts are in. The apps, too.” The way Tim said “apps” sounded weird to Colin, but he couldn’t figure out why.

“Very good.” Damian said, awkwardly.

It felt like forever when no one said anything after that. Neither of them looked at each other or at Colin. Colin thought his head would explode from how weird it felt.

Tim patted his hands against his thighs. “Okay, so…I’m going then.” He pointed with his thumb at the door.

“Right.” Damian said. “Thank you?” he said, almost like it was a question.

“Uh yeah, sure.” Tim backed up and then turned to leave.

“Wait!” Colin held the phone in his hands out toward Tim. “What am I supposed to do with this?”

Tim gave him a confused look over his shoulder. “I don’t know. Play some games, text your soulmate, whatever you want. It’s your phone.”

“Wha…” Colin looked down at the phone, then back up. Tim was already out of the room and walking away. “W-Wait, what do you mean it’s my phone?!”

He’d tried to tell Damian he didn’t need it. Tried to explain that it was just too much money to spend on him. The room and all the stuff in it was one thing, but a phone? How would Colin pay them back? He didn’t have any money. He left the plastic piggy bank that was supposed to hold his allowance at St. Aden’s. It was always empty anyway, he snuck the money into the Sisters saving money jar on top of the fridge when they weren’t looking.

Damian eventually convinced him he needed it. After all, what if he got lost and needed to reach them? Or if he was in some other kind of trouble? “I was in a similar mindset before I got my own phone, as well.” he said. “Then I found that they have useful features.” He showed Colin the calendar and calculator. There was an app called “Ryde”, that would help get a ride to anywhere he asked, and it was already registered to Mr. Wayne’s credit card. Plus there were games, just like Tim said. Colin still felt weird about it, but he agreed that having a phone for emergencies was probably a good idea.

A weird thing happened when Colin was looking at the apps later that day. He used his thumb to move from one screen to another screen, reading the app names one by one. Then he moved to a screen with no apps on it. Or at least, it looked like it. But Colin could have sworn the screen lagged or glitched or something, because for a second he saw an app in the bottom corner that looked like it had Batman’s symbol on it. It was gone as soon as he looked closer, and when he tapped the space, nothing happened. He told Damian, but when they looked on the app list they didn’t find anything that looked like what Colin saw. It was so weird.

Colin sighed. He pushed the button on the side of his phone again, but he saw that he still didn’t have any new texts from Damian. He sat up so he could flip through the pages of Watership Down, which had been sitting next to his phone. He’d texted Damian to tell him he was almost done with it earlier, and Damian had texted back, “That’s wonderful, Colin. Be sure to tell me what you thought of it.” He’d even added a bunny emoji. Then he texted to tell him never to tell Dick that he used an emoji. Ever. Colin sent him a laughing emoji, then started to read. He’d finished forty minutes ago, according to the clock on his phone. Then he wrote the longest text he’d ever written, he just couldn’t stop once he’d started. He sent it, feet swinging under his chair, waiting to hear what Damian said. But he still hadn’t texted back yet.

Setting the book down, Colin leaned back in his chair and thought about what they did after Tim gave him the phone. Honestly for a few hours they both got distracted with an app game. It was about putting colored marbles into jars, switching them around until they were all the same color, and it was trickier than it looked. At least, it was for Colin. Damian was actually really good at it, and they took turns playing each stage and helping each other. Colin really liked leaning against Damian’s shoulder and watching him play, and the small smile Damian had when he figured them out, like he was proud of himself.

They heard someone clearing their throat, and found Alfred standing in the doorway. “I don’t mean to interrupt. However, if you would still like to continue with your plans, Master Damian, then the two of you should get ready to go.”

“Ah, yes.” Damian hopped up from the floor, handing Colin his phone back. “Thank you, Pennyworth.”

“Where are we going?” Colin took Damian’s hands and let him pull him up on his feet.

“You’ll see.” Damian smirked.

“Another surprise? Dames!” Holding hands, they followed Alfred into the kitchen.

“Ah, ah, I won’t hear anything against it. I insist.”

“Here you are, Master Damian. You’ll find everything you asked for inside.” He handed him a small picnic basket. Colin had to stop himself from jumping up and down in excitement.

After thanking Alfred for helping with lunch, and for unpacking Colin’s things, Damian remembered to remind him, they headed out onto the veranda. Damian gave a short whistle so that Titus could hear. The dog followed them outside, and Colin worked up the courage to pat him on the back when he walked close to him. It was worth it to see Damian’s happy smile. They went down a set of steps that were so small that they only had to walk to reach the bottom, and soon they were going around the big fountain in the middle of the paved part of the backyard and the hedges and into the forest on the back of the property.

Damian told him that he liked to walk through the woods to clear his head and get some space from the others sometimes. It showed, too, because he knew the way even though there wasn’t a clear path. He helped Colin over some tree roots and under the branches of other trees. There were bird’s nests in a lot of the trees and Damian pointed them out, and he knew what types of birds they were. A squirrel even stopped halfway down a tree and watched them walk by. Damian waved at it like it was an old friend of his.

After walking for maybe ten minutes Colin saw a break in the trees ahead of them. Titus ran past them, his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

“We’re nearly there.” Damian said, stopping. Colin stopped with him. “I’m going to cover your eyes.” And he did, he let go of Colin’s hand so he could reach his arm around and put his hand over them.

“Dames.” Colin laughed.

“The view will be worth it. I discovered this place myself soon after I moved in. I haven’t told Father or anyone else about it. I’ll share it with you, and this will be our place.”

Colin heard the quiet excitement in his voice, so he softly agreed, “Okay.” He wanted to have a place that was just theirs, too. He put one hand on Damian’s arm, the other one groping in the air until Damian put his other hand, the one holding the basket, under his. “Don’t let me walk into a tree.” He teased.

“Of course not.” Colin could almost hear his eyes roll. Walking together, he said “Step.” once or twice so Colin knew to lift his feet up over whatever was in front of them. He’d felt so nervous, because he was sure Damian would do everything to help him but still he’d bump into something. But he didn’t, and after a few minutes of walking, Damian asked, “Ready?”

Nodding with his eyes still covered, Colin said, “Uh-huh.” He’d closed his eyes, and he felt Damian’s hand move away. Letting out a breath, he opened his eyes.

For as long as he lived, Colin hoped he never, ever, forgot what he saw when he opened his eyes. They were maybe fifteen feet away from the edge of a cliff. Rolling away ahead of them were hills, in the distance, mountains, with houses sprinkled around if Colin looked close enough. As far as Colin could see, on and on, there was just…more.

“Wow.” Colin breathed the word out. He turned and saw Damian wasn’t looking at the view, but him. Colin knew he probably blushed, but he admitted, “This is the most amazing thing I’ve ever seen with my own eyes.”

Damian tilted his head. “Would you like to get closer?” He must’ve seen the word yes in Colin’s eyes, because he set the basket down and walked over to the edge of the cliff. Then, as if it was the most normal thing in the world, he sat down and put his legs over the edge. Titus laid down on his left, head up and ears out. Looking over his shoulder, Damian gave him an encouraging smile and patted the ground next to him.

Colin wasn’t afraid of heights, of all his fears that wasn’t one of them. Still, he was careful when he got close to the edge, sitting and scooting on his butt the rest of the way. When he was finally side by side with Damian, there was a part of him that felt like he was breaking the rules. The Sisters would have never let him sit on the edge of a cliff. But he liked it, both being up there so high and breaking a rule, mostly because he tried so hard to not break them all the time.

Biting his lip, he looked and met Damian’s eye. His soulmate’s eyebrow was up, and Colin could tell what he was thinking. ‘Are you going to look?’

Taking a breath, Colin smirked, then he leaned over until he was looking down over the edge. He felt the way Damian’s hand reached over in no hurry to hold onto the back of his shirt. Just in case. Colin didn’t think he would’ve fell. But boy, was it a drop. The cliff was taller than some of the buildings around St. Aden’s, which had always seemed so small. Looking down he could see the tops of the trees below them, and that was when he realized he’d never wondered what the tops of trees looked like before. When he sat back up, he was breathless but laughing. And he could still see out into forever.

“Can I tell you something?”

“Yes.” Damian was looking at him, and Colin wanted so bad to be able to read his mind.

“It might sound dumb.”

“Nothing you say could sound dumb to me.”

“Well…we’ll just have to see and find out.” Colin followed the shape of the mountains with his eyes. “I knew there were other places, not just Gotham. But…they were never real before. Just pictures in books or online. That mountain exists.” Colin pointed at it. “If we were at the bottom of this cliff we could walk until we got there. And then, when we were there, we’d see somewhere else we could go. Just on and on. I’ve never felt like this before.”

Damian’s hand covered his when he finally stopped talking. “I’ve seen many places. I’d like to show them all to you.”

“Yeah?” Colin leaned his shoulder against Damian’s. “What was your favorite?”

“Mm. I don’t know if it was my favorite per se, but there was something breathtaking about the desert when the sun set. The sky would be orange and the sands would be blue. It would be neither the blistering heat of day nor the frigid chill of night. Quiet. Sometimes…” Colin looked over and saw Damian looking back, and there was a shy look in those blue eyes. “Sometimes I long for that quietness, still.”

“It sounds like a dream.” Colin fought back the feeling that he should shut up, and for once in his life asked for something selfish. “Take me there someday?”

“Yes.” Damian’s eyebrows pulled together on his forehead, the way they did when he was thinking. “I’m already planning the trip. Perhaps this winter, during the school holiday. It would help us escape Gotham’s snow and cold. Hm…but it might be best to go shortly after monsoon season.” Noticing that Colin was watching him, he cleared his throat. “Either way, leave the details to me. This will be the first of many trips for us.”

“Promise?” Colin asked, even though he didn’t believe in promises.

“Better,” Damian answered, “I swear it.”

They sat together for a while, then moved back so they could spread out the picnic blanket and each their lunch. That was when Colin found out Damian was a vegetarian, because their chicken salad sandwiches were labeled with their names, and Damian’s had fake chicken instead. Colin realized that he didn’t actually see Damian eating any of the chicken at dinner last night either.

“I don’t actually mind the idea of consuming meat. However it’s important to me that people know that they have humane options for where their meat comes from. For example, Pennyworth ensures that all meat and animal products brought to the manor are from reputable sellers that treat their animals well. Just because they’re being harvested for meat doesn’t mean they should have a lower quality of life.”

Damian talked for a long, long time about that. Colin didn’t mind, but he also didn’t understand some of it. He liked listening to Damian talk, though.

The rain was starting to slow down, but not enough that Colin thought he could go outside. He picked up his phone and texted Dick, mostly just asking him to stay safe in Bludhaven. When Dick texted back a minute later and asked if he was Colin, Colin felt dumb for not saying that the first time. When that was cleared up Dick was very happy to talk to him, sending lots and lots of emojis. Now Colin understood why Damian didn’t like them, it was kind of a lot.

“So what’s up, Colin?” Dick asked.

Tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth, Colin used his thumbs and tried to type faster. Dick was super fast with his replies. “Not much. I’m waiting for Damian to come back.”

“Oh yeah, I heard they left because of some emergency. Hope you aren’t too bored, kiddo! Listen, I might not reply for a while, but hang in there, okay?”

Colin felt disappointed. He started to ask Dick if he knew when they’d be back, but stopped when Alfred the Cat climbed up onto his lap. The kitty had been almost glued to him all afternoon, rubbing against him for attention. “Hi, Alfie.” Colin ran his hand down his back. “You miss Damian too, huh?” The only answer he got was a furry body climbing up onto his shoulders.

The morning after the picnic Colin thought they should try to ask Tim if he would play with them. Damian didn’t agree right away. Colin asked if he wanted to stay mad at Tim forever, and he admitted he didn’t, with a pout on his face. Tim wasn’t at breakfast because he was working on a project in his room. Before they’d even gotten half way up the stairs Damian’s phone went off in his pocket. When he looked at it he got a really serious look on his face. The next thing Colin knew, Tim and Mr. Wayne were both hurrying down the stairs.

“Are we taking the alternate route, Bruce?” Tim asked.

“Yes. We can be in the city faster that way. Damian, we’re leaving.”

“Yes, Father.” Damian was already at his dad’s side, leaving Colin standing at the bottom of the stairs.

Alfred came in from the kitchen. “Shall I pull the car around the front?”

“No, that’s alright. We’ll just go to the garage. Come on, boys.” They all started moving toward the kitchen, and Colin hurried to catch up.

“Where are we going?” he managed to ask, looking around at them all and wondering what was going on.

All of a sudden, everyone stopped.

“Damn.” Tim said, under his breath.

“Master Bruce?” Alfred asked.

“Right.” Then he turned and kneeled down in front of Colin. “Colin, I’m afraid you have to stay here. Damian, Tim, and I have to go into the city. There’s an emergency at W.E. and they need us all down at Wayne Towers.”

“Oh.” Colin had felt disappointed, and that was surprising. He was used to going everywhere Damian went by now, since he’d been doing that for two days. Now he had to stay behind? “Can’t I come, too?”

“Not this time.” Mr. Wayne did look sorry, but he was also distracted, looking back over his shoulder like he wished they could get moving already. “For security reasons. We haven’t gotten you in the system yet, it’ll take a little time.” Mr. Wayne’s phone went off again, and he was back on his feet. “We’ll be back tonight at the latest.”

Damian gave him an apologetic look. “I’m sorry, Colin.” He was already backing up toward the garage, following after his dad and Tim. “I’ll text you when I can. Try not to have too much fun without me.” he teased.

“You, too.” Colin called after him as he ran into the garage. He and Alfred stood in the door and watched Damian hop into the back of the already running red car. The garage door was halfway up before the car door was closed, and the car was moving before it was all the way up. In the next second, they were out of sight, probably already halfway to the front gate.

Alfred reached over and pressed a button on a panel next to the kitchen door and they watched as the garage door went back down. “I hope you aren’t too disappointed, young sir.”

“I’m okay…” Colin said, even though he knew Alfred could tell he wasn’t being completely honest. “I mean, if there’s an emergency they probably have a lot of important, boring stuff they gotta do. Right?” He looked up at the man, who was watching him, his hands folded behind him.

“That would be a fair assumption, yes.” He lifted a hand to tilt Colin’s chin up with a bent finger. “Stiff upper lip, lad. Since the others are preoccupied, this gives us the opportunity to have an outing of our own.”

“Really?” Colin asked, curious.

“Indeed.” Alfred’s mustache lifted at the corners. “A bit of clothes shopping and a quick run to get some groceries. Let me fetch my coat and hat and we’ll be off.” He patted Colin’s shoulder and turned to go back into the house.

“I like your hat.” Colin told him when he came back. It was a very nice, old fashion hat. Colin had always thought older hats were cool. It looked good with the light coat he had on, even if Colin didn’t get why he wanted to wear a coat in the summer. It reminded Colin of what he thought grandpas wore, but he didn’t say that out loud.

“Do you?” Alfred asked. He pulled a set of keys out of one of his pockets, then reached into the other one. “Then perhaps you’d like to borrow this for the day?” In his other pocket he pulled out a smaller version of his own hat.

“Really? I can borrow it?” Colin stood still so Alfred could set the hat on his head. He couldn’t help smiling when Alfred held the brim of the hat to adjust it. “How do I look?”

“Very dapper.” After making sure the door was locked, Alfred led him farther into the garage. “You aren’t the first to wear that hat. Master Bruce used to wear it when he accompanied me on errands, until he outgrew it. When Master Dick came to live with us I brought it out of retirement. Now including yourself, every young master of the house has worn it at least once.”

“Even Damian?” Colin asked. He couldn’t help remembering the way Damian made a big deal about Dick and Mr. Wayne being playful with him. He couldn’t imagine Damian not being all…Damian about it.

“As I’m sure you know, Master Damian is full of surprises. And he can be very respectful…when he wishes to be.”

Colin held in a giggle. Alfred wasn’t the type of guy to roll his eyes, but he sounded like he wanted to when he said that.

In the back of the garage was a gray, old fashioned car. Colin didn’t know anything about cars, but he could tell it wasn’t a newer one even though it was clean and in good shape. “Is this your car?”

“It is, indeed.” Alfred held open the back door for him. “Shall we be off?”

“We shall.” Colin said, grinning at the older man before climbing into the back and buckling up.

They didn’t end up going into the city. Instead they went to a mall in Bristol. On the way Alfred was nice enough to answer all of the questions that popped into Colin’s head, whether it was about the area around them or even questions about himself, and Colin felt more and more comfortable with the easy conversation. He learned Alfred used to be an actor, but only in the theater. Colin still thought it was awesome, and he was sure Alfred smiled bigger than he ever had before when Colin told him so. He knew Alfred was English because of his accent, but he learned Alfred was born in Dorset, a small mostly rural part of England, but grew up in Manchester, England’s biggest city. Alfred’s mom was an actress, but his dad used to be the butler for Mr. Wayne’s grandparents, and Alfred promised his dad he would go work for the Wayne’s, too. He met them when Mr. Wayne was a really little kid, and he’s worked there ever since. By the time they pulled into a parking space at the mall, Colin thought to himself, ‘I hope when I’m older I have lots of fun stories to tell to younger people someday.’

Colin stuck close to Alfred in the mall, even though no one gave them too much attention. A few times he held on to Alfred’s wrist. He didn’t mean to, but he realized he must have missed Damian since he kept doing it. After the third time, Alfred took his hand and gave him a kind smile as he led him into a store. It was a place where people could buy suits. The owner knew Alfred by name and shook their hands when they came in. He also quietly congratulated Colin on finding his soulmate before measuring him for his own suits. Alfred said he would need a few of them, for special occasions, and no he couldn’t borrow from Damian because suits are made to fit each person just right. If Colin was able to buy them himself he would have, but since he did need them he didn’t say anything when Alfred paid for them and arranged for them to be sent to Wayne Manor when they were done. At least he got to pick out his own bow ties, that was nice.

After that they went to a regular grocery store. It was a really nice one though. Colin did his best to be helpful by pushing the shopping cart for Alfred while he picked out food and cleaning stuff. He even helped Colin pick out shampoo and soap that was supposed to be good for his hair and skin. When Alfred brought him near the clothes section Colin stopped to geek out about the hero designs, and Alfred one of each in the cart and said, “Think of it as a treat, young sir.” and wouldn’t let Colin talk him out of it. Secretly Colin was glad because St. Aden’s usually didn’t get a lot of cool clothes donated and maybe it made him selfish but Colin wanted them.

“Well Master Colin,” Alfred said, buckling his seat belt, “time for us to go back home.”

Colin sat in the back, buckled in with some shopping bags on either side of him, the rest filling up the trunk. He was slumped in his seat a bit, a small smile on his face. They didn’t do a lot, but Colin felt a bit worn out. He wasn’t sure what to think about Alfred calling the manor “home”. Colin wasn’t there yet in his own mind.

That was when Colin heard his phone ping in his pocket with his first text message. It was from Damian. “It’s quiet for a moment, so I wanted to check in with you. How are things?” Colin felt his belly flip. Maybe home is wherever Damian is. Using one finger Colin figured out how to text back. They’d messaged back and forth since then, even when Colin paused to help Alfred bring in the groceries, Damian still texted back. He’d gone upstairs after lunch when Alfred sent him to put his new clothes away, and Damian answered then. It was only now, when Colin finished his book and had nothing to do until dinner that Damian stopped replying.

Alfred the cat jumped off the back of Colin’s desk chair onto the floor, letting out a quiet meow. Colin turned until he could rest one arm across the back of the chair. “What do you think I should do now? I might not hear from Damian until he comes back. Got any ideas?”

The cat looked at him over his shoulder, tail swishing slowly from side to side. He trotted up to the door to Colin’s room, which was cracked. Squeezing his head between them, he managed to open the door enough to get out into the hall.

“Where are you going?” Colin got up and went over to the door. Looking out, he saw Alfred the cat sitting at the end of the hall, like he was waiting for him. Colin followed him, the cat stopping and sitting every once in a while until he caught up. Now Colin was pretty sure he wasn’t being led somewhere on purpose, but he didn’t have any other ideas for what to do until Damian came back.

When they walked past a window Colin noticed that it wasn’t raining anymore. He thought maybe that Alfie wanted to go outside, but they seemed to go deeper into Wayne Manor as the minutes went by. He realized that Damian must have shown him the more regularly visited parts of the house on his first day tour, because this hallway didn’t look familiar.

They went around another corner only to see the hall had a dead end. Now Colin felt really confused. There weren’t even any doors to the sides. “Okaaay…now what?”

Alfie did something really weird then. He went up to the wall at the end of the hall. There was an indent, making a rectangular shape from the floor to the ceiling. He crouched by the corner and started pawing at it.

“What in the world are you up to, you silly kitty?” Colin stopped next to the cat, who turned and meowed at him. He clearly wanted something, but what?

Colin took a closer look at the wall. The wallpaper was a deep teal, with small white flowers dotted around every few feet. He noticed that there was actually a square spot on the wall that was a little lighter, but it was very hard to see. Tracing it with a finger, Colin felt a tiny dent in the wall near the top of it. There must have been a painting hanging up here once, like there were in the rest of the house.

When Alfie pawed at the corner again Colin noticed something. There was a gap around the edge of the wall. Slowly he moved until the side of his face rested against it. There was definitely a narrow space, wide enough to slide a painting in, and deep. But why?

With a gulp, and trying not to think about how small the space was, Colin slid his hand between the two walls. His fingers brushed against a metal plate that dipped in the middle, enough for him to grab on to.

For a second Colin wondered if he should stop. He could go get Alfred and ask permission first. It had to be like this for a reason. This time, curiosity won out above the need to stay out of trouble. He pulled with one hand and the wall budged sideways the tiniest bit. It wasn’t stuck but it was heavy, so Colin managed to fit both hands in and gave a great big pull. The sound it made when it moved was like a wheel rolling across the floor, smooth but not too loud.

When the secret door was out of the way, another wooden door was behind it, this time with a regular round doorknob. Colin blinked at the sight.

“Oh this is so cool.”

—--

The attic of Wayne Manor was built with the rest of the house centuries ago. The secret wall to keep it hidden was added in generations later by a member of the family who wasn’t entirely on the up and up and thought having a place to hide would be helpful. Just in case. Of course, that was many generations ago by now, and even though the family knew about the attic no one knew why it was hidden behind a fake wall in the first place. Colin Wilkes, the newest member of the Wayne family, discovered it one afternoon when the rain stopped. Like most kids were when exploring attics, he was filled with a sense of wonder once he got a good look inside.

After turning the knob on the door, Colin peeked inside to see a staircase that went up halfway then turned around and led up to another floor. At the top of those stairs was a doorway with no door. It led to an open area with a ceiling that sloped up to a point, because it was right under the roof. Two round windows were set high up on either side and let in warm beams of light that showed the dust motes in the air.

It was filled wall to wall with items, mostly furniture covered with sheets and boxes of all sorts. There were some odd items here and there, like the stuffed model made for displaying dresses, a suit of armor, an entire pool table, and piles of wood boards and other cut wood. However everything was arranged neatly, so that there were clear paths to walk so anything could be reached without difficulty.

Colin, and Alfred the cat, wandered around the room. The feline crawled under and over the furniture as he pleased, while the boy moved from one item to the other. He read the labels on the boxes and peeked under the sheets to see what was there. There was a peaceful calm to his features, brought to him by this little tucked away space where items came to rest until they were needed again.

When he found the boxes labeled “Jason” he paused. At first he started to walk away from them, but after a second turned back. Gingerly he opened the top box to look inside. What was in the box? Well that’s not for me to say. Whatever it was belonged to a boy that was no longer there. Colin closed the box, sadness pressing on his heart. He then did something he didn’t often do; he made the sign of the cross and folded his hands together to say a little prayer. To him, it was a small gesture of respect, and he hoped that it would be meaningful to whomever could hear it.

Near the back of the attic Colin found a set of chairs. Three, to be specific. The fourth was broken a long time ago and discarded. The chairs were arranged in a circle, and on one of them was a square object wrapped in a sheet. Judging by the size and shape, Colin recognized it as the painting that must have been hung up on the fake wall. It was in fact that painting, and it was meant to help the wall blend in. But years ago, many years ago, it was taken down and put away where it wouldn’t be seen. At least not often.

After Colin unwrapped it and set it back on the chair, he stepped back to look at it. It was a painting of a man, a woman, and a little boy. The man had black, neatly combed hair, deep brown eyes, a mustache, he wore a blue suit, and had his arm around the woman and his hand on the boy’s shoulder. The woman had light brown hair, cut in a bob and curled at the ends, her eyes were a bright, icy blue, she had on a yellow dress, and she held the boy’s hand. The boy had his father’s good looks, his mother’s smile, hair black as the night and eyes that matched, and with each hand he held on to his parents as if he never wanted to let go.

Colin used a fingertip to trace the shape of the boy’s painted smile. “He looks just like Damian…” he whispered.

“Yes, remarkably so,” agreed a voice from behind him.

“Oh!” Colin turned around to find Alfred Pennyworth, the family butler, standing there. “Alfred, it’s you.”

“My apologies if I startled you, Master Colin.” Alfred held out a cell phone. “You left this in your room. Perhaps you should carry it with you, in case we need to find one another?”

“Yeah, that’s a good idea.” Colin grinned sheepishly and took the phone. “Alfred,” he turned back to the painting, “is that Mr. Wayne and his mom and dad?”

“It is.” Putting a hand on Colin’s shoulder, Alfred sat in one of the empty chairs. “This is Dr. Thomas Wayne and his wife, Martha Wayne. This painting was done for Master Bruce’s sixth birthday. The Master and Madam were so pleased…” When he trailed off, his face became sad, and wistful.

In the quiet that followed, Colin sat on the other free chair and the two of them looked at the painting together for a while.

“Alfred?”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry I didn’t get to meet them. Do you think…do you think they would have liked me?”

Alfred turned to Colin, his eyes wide, or at least wide for him. Colin wouldn’t meet his eyes, maybe because he was embarrassed that he asked, instead just looking at the image of the once happy and whole family. He reminded the older man of many other young boys like him, who once were, in a way, lost and looking for a place to belong to.

“Master Colin, I will tell you what I told Master Damian when he asked me the very same question…” He waited until Colin’s dark green eyes looked shyly up at him. “They would have adored you.”

Chapter 12

Chapter Text

Robin ignored the sting that moved through the palm of his hand after bringing it harshly into the elbow of the assassin at his mercy. They crumpled with a cry of agony, cradling their now useless arm. With one kick to the head they fell, unconscious. He moved on to the next, seeing both Batman and Red Robin doing the same as they progressed up another floor of Wayne Towers. Robin tried to reign in the familiar feeling of bloodlust that sang in his veins. It was only his old training, not his own desires, and being surrounded by League members didn’t help. He let the resentment and anger remain. Of course Mother would pull a stunt like this.

When the notification from the Cave came on his phone he almost didn’t believe it. A distress signal from Lucius Fox, letting them know that League of Assassin members had taken over Wayne Towers. There’d barely been enough time to bid Colin goodbye before they were pulling out of the garage, out the front gate, and onto the hidden road outside of the property that let the car into the Cave. They sprinted to get their suits on while the car was moved down a separate track and the Batmobile took its place on the rotating platform. Soon they were rocketing into Gotham City.

A quick check showed that the police hadn’t even been notified of the take over. It was all done quietly, to gain no attention. After all, that wasn’t what this was about. The Batmobile was parked and locked streets away from Wayne Tower, and they approached from the rooftops. Robin saw the indicators of one of Mother’s tests the second the entryway came into view. There stood a nondescript man who looked up at them within moments. He gave the League’s hand signals, welcoming them and communicating that they would have five minutes to confer with each other. Then he gestured to the front door, which was missing its usual security guards. Damian pushed away the pride that wanted to burst out of him when Father asked him how he thought they should approach the situation. When dealing with the League there was no time for playing around.

“We have to go through the front. They’re waiting for us.”

“How likely is it a trap?” Red Robin asked, scanning the building itself with the technology in his mask.

“It looks more like a test than a trap.” Robin looked up at Batman for confirmation.

The man nodded. He must recognize it as well from his own days training with the League many years ago. “Where are the people?”

“There’s a large heat signature on the top floor, with others spread out on the rest.” Red Robin tapped his mask to turn off the heat sensors so he could look at them properly. “My best guess is that all of the employees are being held hostage up in your office.”

“While on every floor there must be assassins waiting to fight us, low leveled, meant not to stop us but to hinder us.” Robin added on. He looked up to the top of the building. “It’s an endurance trial.”

“There are seventy five floors, not counting the underground ones.” Red Robin frowned. “Would we have to clear every floor?”

Batman looked at Robin. “Ask him if they intend to harm the hostages if the trial isn’t completed the way they want it done.”

Nodding Robin did just that. He only got one hand motion in response. “Yes.” he translated, then paused when he got another. “We need to start, they won’t give us any more time to discuss this.”

“Then let’s go.” Batman ground out. Robin could only wonder what his father was thinking, but he was sure the man hated that they had to cooperate with the League’s wishes.

Using grapples they swung themselves down to the front, ignoring the shouts of surprise from passersby on the street who were undoubtedly shocked to see nighttime vigilantes in the day. Once they were past the doors they electronically closed and locked behind them, trapping the three inside. The GCPD would be finding out something was wrong soon enough, even if it wasn’t from them.

Batman lifted a hand up to his ear, but soon removed it with a frown. Robin did the same only to hear static in his earpiece. “We’re cut off from the outside.”

“It doesn’t matter.” Batman nearly growled, his back to them. Robin exchanged an almost identical look of surprise with Red Robin. “What matters is rescuing those hostages. Remember that we are dealing with assassins. You have my permission to do whatever is necessary to subdue them, except killing. Let’s go.” He started towards the stairway, not waiting for them to catch up.

In less than a second Robin met Red Robin’s eyes, only to see him give an uncomfortable shrug in response before he pulled his bo staff from his belt and extended it to its full length. Apparently Drake was as put off by Father’s behavior as he was. Of course, Mother crossed a line with this. And Father never cared for her games, either.

At first it was simple. The assassins put in effort, but they were sent here to be fodder. They must have done something to lose Grandfather’s favor, because once they were arrested the League wouldn’t go to much trouble to help them. Though that was a test as well, because should one of them manage to break out of prison and make it back to the League they would undoubtedly be rewarded for their success. It was always a test, an ever onward trek to attempt to reach renown or die for the effort. Damian was never more glad to be free of it all.

It took hours, and that alone was infuriating. Moving through continuous battle after battle, without rest, the lights of the floor they completed going out once it was cleared. Even Robin started to feel the fatigue once they neared the final floor. They emerged on their guard, each panting yet trying not to let it show. There were no assassins to greet them this time, so they moved to be back to back with one another as they made their way down the halls toward Father’s office.

Robin was at the back, watching the way they had come, a batarang in each hand. Part of him cursed himself for not bringing his sword, but he wanted to avoid the temptation. It seemed he still didn’t trust himself. He’d have to think that over later, hopefully after enjoying time with Colin, who would unknowingly help remind him why he chose this path instead of the one chosen for him by Grandfather.

When they were in front of the office door Father said, “Cover me.” Robin and Red Robin stood side by side, back to the door as they heard Batman throw it open. There were muffled shouts of surprise from the hostages, but other than that no sound. After a moment Batman gave the all clear. “Robin, guard the door. Red, help me with the hostages.”

With his back to the open door Robin could only listen as Batman spoke to Lucius Fox. “Mr. Fox, do you know who held you captive?”

It was a redundant question to them of course, but not to the other hostages who didn’t know as much about their identities. “He said they were from the League of Assassins.” Fox said, letting out a gasp of relief most likely from having his ropes cut. “He’s still in the tower.”

“Where?” Batman said, and Robin was sure the man paused even if he couldn’t see him.

“The meeting room.” To keep their cover he gave directions even though they didn’t need them. “He’s waiting for you there. Said he wouldn’t leave without meeting Robin…”

Robin tensed as the man trailed off. He could feel their eyes on him, but more than that he felt the itch to take off running towards the waiting assassin. He couldn’t be left alone, not when he could be doing any sort of questionable thing in his father’s place of work. “I’m going!”

“Not without me!” Batman said, a warning in his tone.

His mind was at war. He wanted to obey, to trust his Father and his judgment. But he trusted his own judgment, too, and he knew every second he waited meant another that something terrible could happen. He couldn’t wait for the hostages to be freed. He knew what League members were capable of. “There isn’t time!” Pushing down the guilt, he sprinted away down the hall.

“Robin!”

Robin, no Damian’s stomach clenched, but he didn’t slow down. He knew the way to the meeting room from memory. It was hardly two weeks ago that he’d burst in on one of Father’s meetings, unrepentant. He’d been promised a trip to the ice cream parlor, and from what he’d overheard from eavesdropping the members of the board were dragging things out for arbitrary reasons. So he stood by his father’s chair while the man had his arm around him, crossed his arms, and glared until they finally wrapped the meeting up a few short minutes later. “Brucie” had apologized but hurried them out. Father, once they were in the car and on their way, said he could get two extra scoops for rescuing him from the board. There’d been a smile on his face as he said it. Wasn’t that telling enough? The idea of Damian bursting in on one of Grandfather’s meetings and demanding ice cream, a treat he’d never been allowed in the League, was unthinkable. Damian wanted, needed, to protect this place and these people who meant so much to his father, the man who allowed him to have memories as precious as this. Nothing from his past would take that away.

Moving around one last corner the double doors of the meeting room were in sight. Picking up speed he sprinted until the last moment when he jumped and brought his booted feet squarely in the center of the two doors. They burst inward, and as he righted himself to land in a crouch he heard them bounce back off the walls. Robin took a few seconds as the assassin turned around to regain his breath.

The assassin had been standing on the other side of the long conference table, facing the window that took up the entire opposite wall. They were covered head to foot in black, with only their eyes visible, there were no outward signs of gender, and Damian didn’t recognize them by skin tone alone. They folded their hands and bowed at the waist. “My Lord.”

“I am no Lord of yours,” Damian scowled back in Arabic, “and you have no favor with me. What have you been sent here for?” When the assassin began to move around the table, he tightened his grip on the batarangs in his hands and stood. “You must be very stupid to act like you have the upper hand here. I demand an answer!”

“You won’t attack. You are not League anymore.” They rounded the end of the table, and Damian could see one of their hands reaching to the back of their belt, where a pouch was fastened. They didn’t try to hide the movement. “As for what I am doing here, Lady Talia’s orders were clear. She wanted this,” here they pulled out a small, white envelope, “to be hand delivered to you personally.” They kneeled and, with both hands, held out the envelope to him.

Damian recognized the crest in the emerald green wax. It was of the al Ghul family, not the League. He felt a lightness in his chest at receiving something written by his mother’s own hand, and then cursed himself for it. The only outward sign of this he let show was the furrowing of his brow as he threw the batarang in his left hand into the floor by the assassin’s knee in warning before taking the envelope in hand.

They folded their hands and bowed their head. It was the League’s way of asking whether there was anything else required of them. So this ridiculous trial and letter delivery were all they had been sent here to do. Damian fought the urge to show his relief.

“Your task has been fulfilled.” he dismissed them, but not without a clear warning, “Leave, and do not return.”

Lifting their head, they narrowed their eyes at him. Damian wanted to give in to the urge to backhand them across the mouth, like he would have done before to an errant League member. Before he could decide if he would, he heard footsteps pounding down the hall, and Father’s voice calling out for him.

Making the mistake of looking away from the assassin gave them the chance to, most likely, reach into their sleeve and pull out a smoke pellet. He heard the sound of it bursting off the ground moments before the room was engulfed in white smoke.

Damian was glad Mother was nowhere near to hear the expletive he let out. That had been a rookie mistake. Damn it all!

“Robin!” Father’s voice called from the doorway, but not even his outline could be seen in the smoke. “Robin, answer me!”

“I’m here!” he answered, muscles tense. He couldn’t let his guard down, now would be the optimal time for the assassin to strike–

A hand clamped down on his left shoulder. Gritting his teeth, Robin brought his right arm out to strike, the batarang still in his fist, but the wrist of that hand was caught before it could make contact.

“It’s me, it’s only me!”

Robin stopped struggling. “Father!” He moved his head to look around the man, close enough now to see the symbol on his chest. “They’re getting away!”

“I don’t give a damn! Let them!”

Not believing his ears, Robin looked up at the man, only to see him staring down at him. It was only then that Robin recognized the tone of his father’s voice. It couldn’t be…was he….worried?

“Father…?”

Batman’s lips were pressed together, his eyes narrowed, his brow furrowed. The hands holding Robin tightened, but not painfully. It was as if he was reassuring himself that he was still there. “How could you run off like that?” There wasn’t anger in his voice anymore, and honestly, Damian didn’t know what to do with that. “What if it had been a trap? You just rushed in here…”

The smoke had nearly dissipated, and it soon became clear that the assassin was long gone. Only then did Father let him go. Looking for a trail to follow would be pointless. League members don’t leave a trail. “They could have planted a bomb…” Robin nearly trailed off when Batman looked down at him again, “or poison, or a listening device…they could have done so much damage if they weren’t stopped. I didn’t want to risk it.” He didn’t defend himself as fervently as he would normally, and it didn’t sit right with Damian. He knew he was in the wrong, but that never stopped him from arguing his point even when it was fruitless. So why wasn’t he?

After a minute Batman looked away from him. “What if you were taken away from me?” Damian felt his chest tighten. “That could have been Talia’s plan all along.”

“I wouldn’t have gone with her!” Stopping himself, Robin took a breath and lowered his voice. “I never would have gone with her.”

“You and I both know that wouldn’t have stopped her from doing whatever she wanted.” Unable to deny the truth of that, Robin said nothing. After a moment, Batman let go of him. “I’m going back to help Red Robin with the hostages. I’ll leave this room for you to check. If they did plant something in here, I’m sure you’ll find it.”

When Batman turned his back to him to leave Robin felt the full force of the guilt he’d been holding back come through. It was only when he moved to clench his hands that he remembered the letter in his left and stopped himself before ruining it. “Wait.” He ran around his father until he was facing him. “They gave me this.” He held it out to him.

Father surprised him by using only a finger to tip the letter down so he could see the seal in the wax. “Oh…” he said softly. “...this is for you, son.”

Robin hesitated. “Yes, they said Mother wanted me to have it. Don’t you want to…take it from me?”

From the minute movement of his shoulders, Robin knew the man let out a sigh through his nose. “I trust you. If there’s something in it I would be worried about, you’d tell me.”

“Y-Yes, of course.” Robin stuttered, and hid his uncertainty behind a frown as he put the letter away in a pouch on his belt. He let his father’s hand rest on his shoulder for a moment as he moved past him before leaving him to his task. The trust he was given after disobeying orders made him feel both bad and good. It kind of sucked.

Not letting any of these thoughts distract him he got to work, and before long found that there was nothing out of place or suspicious in the meeting room. When he made his way back to Father’s office he found most of the staff milling around outside it. He pulled up the hood of his cape and kept his head down. If he were dressed as Damian Wayne he could’ve pushed his way through and snarked at them. That was the persona Father’s employees knew from him, that he was bad tempered and liked to be left alone and was never to be cooed at like a child. It allowed him some relief from the clinging, little echo of Bruce Wayne that he played up for the press, the one who vied to get his father’s attention away from his siblings and wanted to be exactly like him in every way. Even now as the employees saw his hooded form coming and parted so that he had a path to walk, he wore the identity of Batman’s current Robin. No nonsense, prone to cruelty when it came to criminals, and very mouthy. Each of these versions of him held a true part of him. Father warned him that this would happen, that he would have to share some parts of him and put the others aside, that only at home would he have the true freedom to be himself.

What did it all mean? Simply that he ached for Colin’s company. He may not have had leave to tell Colin about Robin, but aside from that he’d never had to hold back from his soulmate. Colin had gotten to see him exactly as he is, and yet, somehow, still wanted him in spite of that. For the first time, he just wanted to go home instead of being here, being Robin.

Stepping into Bruce Wayne’s office, he found Red Robin at the computer, which had been modified by the League so they could control the lights, ventilation, and doors of Wayne Towers from one location. The teen most likely had the systems cleared of any suspicious activity, though by this point Robin doubted there was anything to worry about.

“Batman interrogated the staff. They don’t know anything more about why this happened.” Red Robin didn’t look up as he spoke.

“There aren’t enough of them for this to be the full staff.” Robin pointed out. He’d noticed that when he took a quick count on the way in.

“It’s not. The League struck early this morning, before most had come in. They sent out an email telling the staff that they had a sudden random day off. Everyone except Lucius Fox, who they needed in order to access the main system.”

“So when he came in they made him send us the distress call.” Robin concluded.

Red Robin nodded. Then commented about how this was going to throw Wayne Enterprises off for days, which was more his problem then any of the staff realized. “Did they end up planting something in the meeting room?”

“...no.”

That made the other pause what he was doing. “No?” When Robin only shook his head, the teen looked perplexed. “Then what was all of this even for?” To his credit, he didn’t sound annoyed or mad, and Robin felt grateful.

“I’ll…I’ll tell you in the car…” Robin trailed off.

They both stood there for a moment, a little surprised. Usually Robin would taunt him about how if he didn’t already know then he was too stupid to figure it out. Red would shoot back about how if anyone was up to something bad, it was probably Robin. But now, Robin had simply said without saying that he trusted him but couldn’t say anything here. They were both in new territory now.

Robin turned away first, and he hoped the other wouldn’t say anything to push them back to where they were before. And before either could say anything, Batman stepped up to them.

“Time to go. Everything seems to be under control here. Mr. Fox is going to be calling the Waynes in. They’ll handle things from here.”

With a few quick movements Red Robin erased his presence from the computers and joined them on the way out. As they left Robin heard the murmurings of the employees, but tuned them out. They didn’t catch on to anything, they were too oblivious to realize what was right under their noses; their boss was Batman, and he was leaving so he could come back. They really did lead paradoxical lives.

“We’re going home?” Robin asked once they were near enough to the Batmobile.

“We’re going back to the Cave to get the car, then coming right back here. We have to cover all bases, you know that.” Red Robin answered, giving him a look over his shoulder.

“Oh.” He did know that. Father was meticulous about these sorts of things. Only as they climbed into the car, Robin in back, did Damian feel for the first time how tedious it was.

They rocketed through the streets, moving faster than was legally allowed in any part of the country, let alone Gotham City. It was only thanks to the tech installed in the car and Father’s quick reflexes that kept them from any harm. As the momentum of the turns shifted him from side to side, and the force pushed him back into his seat, Robin had to stare at the back of one of the seats in front of him, because the blurring scenery would otherwise make him violently carsick. He hated this weakness, which is why despite how much progress he’d made with the family he still hadn’t told any of them about it. Of course, they usually never had to go this fast.

Annoyingly, Red Robin didn’t seem to be bothered. “We’ll still be cutting it close at this pace.” Fox had had to “call” the Waynes a lot sooner than planned because another employee suggested the idea and it would have been too suspicious to refuse. “You going to take the shortcut?”

“I’ll have to. That’s what I get for taking too long on the modifications to the Batplane.”

Robin recognized Miller Harbor when Batman aimed the car at an opening on the road that pointed them in the direction of the water. In seconds they were soaring off the edge and Red Robin was flipping a switch that would turn the Batmobile into its underwater variation. While the car transformed midair, Robin felt his butt lift from the seat. The only thing keeping him from hitting the roof was the seatbelt. The now sleek shape of the Batmobile cut into the surface of the water like a sharp blade, and soon they evened out and started to make their way in the direction of the underwater entrance to the Cave.

Turning around in his seat, Red Robin looked back at him. “So? You said you were going to tell me?” Even as he asked his voice held a hint of apprehension. It was as if he expected to be verbally assaulted. With a feeling of guilt, Robin realized the thought wasn’t unjustified.

“Right.” Reaching back to that compartment on his belt, Robin pulled out the letter the assassin had given him. “Mother had them send this to us.”

He held it out to the teen, but before he could take it Batman set a hand gently on his shoulder, stopping him from taking it. “Son, the letter is for you. Not us.”

“So you said…” Robin agreed, even as he felt confused. They both left it unspoken that this was out of character for Mother. She had stopped sending him occasional letters after he had made it clear to her that he would not be returning to the League of Assassins. She said that if he was going to deny his birthright then he was no longer an al Ghul. He’d been telling himself since that he didn’t care what she thought, after all she hadn’t been entirely forthright with him over the years. Why would he care what a liar had to say?

Red Robin tilted his head as Batman returned his hand to the steering wheel. “You know what it is.”

“I have a guess.” Batman confirmed. He looked at Robin in the rearview mirror. “Open it. If you don’t want it that’s fine, but you should at least take a look.”

Frowning, Robin turned the letter over so he could break the seal. The wax came off cleanly in his hand, so he held it in his palm as he opened the envelope and peered inside. He wasn’t sure what he expected, but it certainly wasn’t a card with the word “Congratulations” on it. In English no less. Every time Mother had written before it was always in Arabic. To be fair, the card was intricate, and Damian recognized Mother’s skill with calligraphy in the swirls of the letters. Taking it out of the envelope, he could tell that the entire thing was personally crafted. It left him with some mixed feelings.

“Is that what I think it is?” Red Robin asked, disbelief in his voice. “You mean to tell me this whole trial the League set up was so that Talia could send you a Bonding card?”

“Arabic tradition, if I’m not mistaken. And Talia was always fond of dramatics.” The Batmobile tilted heavily to the side as Batman dodged around some sort of large debris. By now they must have been halfway through Cape Carmine.

“So that’s where Jason gets it from.” Red Robin huffed as he sat right way around in his seat again.

Robin had been half listening to their conversation. He was internally debating whether or not to keep the card. He was frustrated about what Mother had put them through today, it certainly wasn’t worth all the trouble. Yet still, another part of him could see how Mother would think she was doing them a favor. After all, with all the work Drake and Father would have to do in order to get Wayne Enterprises back to full capacity, Damian would be free of their hovering. Of course she would cling to something he had offhandedly said in one letter to her months ago, when he was still new and the family was getting used to him. But she was doing it for the right reasons, surely?

He read the wording of the card again.

Congratulations

We wish you happiness and wholeness in your new bond.

May you always have one another to lean on.

Sincerely, Talia and the al Ghul Family

“Tt.” Bold of her to speak for the whole family, wasn’t it? Surely Grandfather knew nothing of this card, for if he did he would have set it to flames before it could have been sent.

It was only when he flipped the card over to look at the back that he noticed there was something else in the envelope. The pattern of the stationary was the kind Mother had used in her other letters. He pulled it out and unfolded it to see the familiar Arabic. Seeing the endearment Mother used to use for him made him wish he could hear her speak the words.

Dearest One,

It pains me that I cannot be there to look you in the eyes and see what color they are. I suspect they will be like your father’s, and if they are then you are blessed. I dearly wish I could be with you during this new chapter in your life, but unfortunately there are forces that conspire to keep me away. Know that I cherish you, and I fully intend to visit you and your betrothed in Gotham as soon as I am able.

In regards to your other half, Colin Wilkes, I will say that what he lacks in status he makes up for in resilience. It is a mark of strong character, though I will withhold my judgments until I have met him personally. From my intel it seems you are clearly besotted with him, and on that alone my opinion of him is already high.

Though I wish it were not so, I must be the bearer of bad news. I will not mince words with you, your grandfather is no longer with us. This time for good. I will not elaborate any further on the details of his passing, as I know not if you are interested in knowing. All you need be aware of is that as of now I, myself am the head of League. You’ve made clear your stance that you have no wish to return to our number, but as your mother I want to make clear you are once again a member of the al Ghul family. Should you ever need me, I will help you however I am able.

There is so much more to be said, but not in a letter. I look forward to seeing you more than you know. Be sure to keep up with your training, and your lessons. Also be sure to have plenty of protein, I’ve only just learned of your change in diet and I don’t want you to be lacking in your nutrients.

Your Mother,

Talia al Ghul

“Tt, of course she would word it like that…”

“Word it like what?”

Damian’s mind cleared and he became aware of his surroundings. While he’d been reading they’d entered an underwater tunnel in the cliff face. The entrance had a fake rock façade, and it led into the Cave. More specifically it ended in a room that could be closed off, drained of water, and raised into a part of the Cave. The Batmobile was already turning back into its land version and the platform was rising.

He answered Red Robin, “Mother has informed me that Grandfather is dead.”

That caused both occupants of the front seats to turn and look at him.

Batman actually sounded shocked. “Ra’s?”

Robin couldn’t help furrowing his brow. “Who else would I be referring to?”

“Right. Sorry.” The man turned back around in his seat, mostly because they were now up in the Cave and he needed to park so they could switch cars. “I’m just surprised.”

“Yeah me, too.” Red Robin chimed in. “Why didn’t they just bring him back? They’ve done it before, right?”

“That I do not know.” Robin admitted, putting the letter back into the envelope, but keeping the card. He’d wondered the same thing, yet at the same time… “It’s hardly much of a loss though, is it?”

They parked, Red Robin hopping out. “Well don’t sound so choked up about it.”

“Grandfather could be kind at times, he encouraged me most of my life, and I learned much from him.” Robin jumped out of the car, and looked up at the older bird. “But he certainly wasn’t a good man. He’s responsible for many lost lives, and he did disown me. Forgive me if I don’t weep.”

Having already removed his mask, Drake merely shrugged.

“Get changed.” Father was already moving up to the locker area of the Cave. “We saved a lot of time, but we can’t dawdle, either.”

Damian heard Drake asking if there was enough time for them to catch a shower as he started changing.

“We’ll tell them we were working out when we got the call. Just put some deodorant on.”

Drake grumbled a bit, but soon they were heading back out of the Cave, watching the wooden barrier with the sign that warned about the steep hill popping back into place after them and concealing the hidden road. They’d reach Kane Memorial Bridge in no time. Father really did think of everything.

Reaching into his pocket to pull out his phone, Damian felt the card from Mother brush against his fingertips. He’d put the wax seal and her letter in his locker, grateful for the fingerprint scanner needed to open them. He knew only Father and Todd could read Arabic fluently, but still he didn’t want to risk anyone else seeing it. The card on the other hand…

Shaking his head, he put the thought out of his mind. He flipped through his phone until he found an app with Batman’s symbol on it. It was the same one Colin had managed to catch a glimpse of on his own phone the other day, though it was supposed to be invisible to him for the time being. He mentioned the glitch to Drake and thought he saw the teen make a note of it on his phone. Activating the app, a map of Gotham popped up. He saw the three of them, marked only as BW, TD, and DW, steadily moving farther into the city. There was one blip marked DG in Bludhaven, and one in the Narrows marked JT. There wasn’t one for Cassandra, because she was out of range, but it would show up when she returned.

Damian tapped the filter and tapped each name on the list to deactivate them so they wouldn’t clutter the map. There was a set of initials marked SB, but it was grayed out and couldn’t be interacted with. He still hadn’t gotten around to asking who they were for. Soon the only two left were CW and AP. When he saw they weren’t at the manor but instead somewhere in Bristol, a knot of worry settled in his stomach.

Leaving the app he pulled up his contact list and texted Colin. “It’s quiet for a moment, so I wanted to check in with you. How are things?” The ellipsis meaning that someone was replying came up, but it took a while before any message appeared. ‘Maybe we shouldn’t have left them alone. Pennyworth is capable, but the League was still near enough…’

When the message did arrive, it sounded so much like Colin that Damian almost sagged in relief. “Hi Damian! Me and Alfred went shopping, it was a lot of fun! Sorry I’m slow, I’ve never texted before.”

Damian felt a soft wave of affection wash over him. He pulled his legs up onto the seat in order to cross them, something he would hardly ever do in front of others. “It’s alright. I’m glad you aren’t bored. It’s nearly time for lunch, have you eaten yet?”

There was a pause. “Alfred says he’ll make something when we get back to the house. Oh no, he asked me what I want to eat!”

“Then tell him. Do not forget, you are a Master of the house, now.”

“It’s still so weird to me! Do you think he’d mind making grilled cheese and tomato soup?” Damian could almost picture the sweet and shy look on his soulmate’s face.

He chuckled. “You aren’t asking him to make a soufflé from scratch. I’m sure he’s up to the task.”

Their conversation flowed naturally from there. It helped when Damian suggested that Colin use his thumbs to type, and to his credit Colin did seem to get the hang of it with practice. Damian was so engrossed he hardly looked up from his phone when he noticed Father standing outside the open car door and quietly asking him to come out. He simply scooted out and let Father guide him with a hand on the shoulder as they were followed by a gaggle of employees through the car park and into the building proper.

“I’m so sorry about this, Bruce. I know you and the kids wanted some space today.” Without looking, Damian was sure Fox glanced in his direction.

“It’s alright, Lucius. I’m sure between you, me, and Tim we can have this all sorted out.” Father put on a show of fake levity, one that was meant to be obvious to anyone looking.

“How’s the new family member?” A woman, Father’s secretary, if Damian's memory of her voice was correct, asked.

Just because he wasn’t participating in the conversation didn’t give any of them the right to be nosy. So he looked at her from the side of his eyes and said, “None of your business. Do none of you have jobs you should be doing?” Watching her pale and the others scatter was almost too satisfying.

The next few hours went by in a similar manner. Whatever the others were doing exactly Damian didn’t know, because he’d commandeered the sofa in Father’s office and texted back and forth with Colin with hardly a care. It was only after he’d texted asking Colin to tell him what he thought when he finished Watership Down that the battery warning he’d been ignoring for a while went away. Along with everything else on his screen.

“What? No. No no no.” Pushing the on button repeatedly unfortunately did nothing. “Drake!”

“What?” Looking up, he saw the teen was sitting at one end of Father’s desk, where another computer setup was temporarily in place. He seemed focused on the screen in front of him, and his tone said he was in the zone.

“Where is your charger?”

“In my pocket. Not that it matters, because you have a different model than I do.”

Damian cursed beneath his breath.

Father raised an eyebrow at him. “Didn’t you charge it last night?”

“...no. I didn’t expect to be away from home today…do you have yours?”

“I’ve got the new model, too.”

“I told you to upgrade.” Drake drank from a mug of coffee some intern had brought him without slowing down.

“Yes, yes, go on and gloat.” But even though he said that he didn’t put any fire in it. He just stared at his own reflection on his phone screen.

“I’m sure Colin can wait until we get home. Shouldn’t be another hour.”

Damian groaned quietly, sinking into the back of the sofa. An hour of waiting just for a long car ride.

“Why don’t you just take him home, Bruce?” Damian sat up, surprised, but Drake was still engrossed in his work. “I’ll finish up here.”

“You’re sure?” Father looked over from his computer.

“Yeah, this is child’s play. Besides, don’t you have to work on the other thing?”

Damian didn’t know what they were talking about. But he found it difficult to care. “So we’re leaving?”

“...yes, it seems like it.” After shutting everything down Father joined Damian by the door to the office. “Call if you need anything.”

Drake vaguely waved a hand. “I’ll meet you back home later.”

“He’s preoccupied, Father.” Taking the man’s wrist in both hands he started to pull him out of the office. “Drake will do just fine.”

“Hm. It seems he’s not the only one who’s preoccupied…”

—--

After what felt like an agonizing amount of time, not to mention a tense conversation in the car, they were finally pulling into the garage at Wayne Manor. Damian, now a little more subdued than before, got out and avoided looking back at his father as he went up the stairs into the kitchen.

Seeing Colin standing at the counter, chatting easily with Pennyworth and helping to cut some vegetables for dinner, soothed the parts of himself that had been tense since they left that morning. He envied his soulmate then in that moment, that he was a normal child while Damian was not.

“We’re home.” He said as he stepped fully through the door.

A set of forest green eyes turned to look at him, and a smile pushed freckles up on his cheeks. He heard Pennyworth greet him, but only had eyes for his other half.

“Damian!” Setting down the knife he was holding, Colin hopped down from the step stool he’d been standing on. Pennyworth had him wearing an apron that was folded over so it would fit him right. He looked so domestic.

“Colin.” he replied as the redhead ran over to him.

Colin stopped just in front of him, his arms out to the side. “Oh uh...” He lowered his arms, a shy smile on his face. “I-I’m glad you're back. I–”

If Damian was asked later he wouldn’t be able to answer why he did what he did next. Seemingly on their own, his hands reached out and slipped around Colin’s waist. The warm feeling of his soulmate against his chest and in his arms imprinted itself inside his brain as if it had been branded there. Though Colin’s hands had hovered up in the air for a moment from surprise, Damian soon felt them coming to rest on his shoulders, which meant his arms folded over his own even if they weren’t wrapped around him. He felt as much as heard the soft, happy sigh Colin let out.

“I missed you.”

Chapter 13

Chapter Text

Damian felt Colin’s cheese dust covered fingers set another piece of cheese popcorn into his palm. His own cheese dust covered fingers brought the snack to his lips. They repeated the action a minute or so later, their eyes transfixed on the television screen. Colin’s head was resting on his shoulder, his soulmate had shuffled closer to him as the scene in Watership Down became dramatic and stormy. Damian couldn’t help thinking the lighting effects of the animation were fascinating. When the villain appeared through the rain Colin let out a tense breath, whether in anticipation or dread he wasn’t sure.

Looking from the edge of his vision, Damian noticed the way the gray tinted light from the screen in the otherwise dark room affected the color of Colin’s hair. Colin had pulled his bed covers around him at some point, though it didn’t seem too cold this evening after the rain from earlier in the day.

He focused back on the screen as he heard a threat of death, though it was more of a promise. When the credits began to play a few moments later Colin let out a quiet groan.

“Really, part three ends there? But it was just getting intense!”

Damian hummed. “They could’ve simply had it be one movie.”

“Yeah. But four hours is kind of a lot, so I get why there’s four parts. Pass me a napkin?”

Colin sat up so he could take it and began wiping his hands. Perhaps he was full. There was still a quarter of the bowl left, as they’d only watched part three so far and the other two the previous evening. Damian took another few pieces in his hand to eat. He then noticed Colin leaning over him to pick up the remote that was resting by his leg

Damian tilted his head. “Colin?”

The other paused the television before it could start to play the final part. Lightly biting his lip, Colin turned to him. “You’ve been quiet since you got back…I wasn’t gonna say anything, but I thought I’d ask if you needed to talk or…you know.” He then shrugged one shoulder.

Understanding came to Damian then. He should have guessed that Colin would notice, as his soulmate has shown multiple times how observant he is. But truthfully Damian wasn’t sure he felt up to making up a story about what happened at W.E. today. Father had told Pennyworth that everything was being settled, that Drake would finish up and come back later on, leaving out that it would most likely be as Red Robin. Then over a light dinner they’d listened as Colin recounted his day with the butler, with Damian only speaking when he was directly asked something. Not for a lack of interest, but because his mind would drift to think about his conversation with Father on the drive back or Mother’s letter. Even afterward, when Colin led him by the hand up to his bedroom, Damian simply went along with it.

Sighing softly, he dropped the popcorn piece back into the bowl. “You noticed.”

“Sure I did, but…you know you don't have to talk about it if you don’t want to. Right?”

“I do know that.” Colin wouldn’t demand anything of him. And yet… “But I want to tell you.” After cleaning his hand on a napkin, Damian reached into his pants pocket and pulled out the card. “While we were there, I received this from my mother.” He wondered at the apprehension that coiled in his stomach as he watched Colin take it in his own hand. It was as if he saw two separate universes come together. This good natured boy from Gotham, and his Mother, the new leader of the League of Assassins.

Colin tilted the card so he could read it in what light they had. Though he didn’t read out loud, his lips twitched as he mouthed the words. It made Damian smile. “The…All Gull Family?” He said the last part out loud.

“No, no, al Ghul. It is Arabic, meaning The Ghoul.”

He thought he saw Colin shiver. “That’s a cool name. Spooky, too.” Damian hadn’t thought about it much before. “Is Talia your mom?”

What a question. “Yes.”

Colin must have heard something in his tone, because he turned himself so he was resting his side against the headboard of his bed in order to face him. “I’m guessing this is some of the complicated stuff you were talking about at St. Aden’s.”

“It is.” he sighed, letting the back of his head fall back on the headboard. “I suppose I’m glad she sent it, that she approves of us, at least for now. She sent a letter as well. She’ll be visiting us at some point, but I do not know if I want her here…I am angry with her.”

“Why?” Colin asked softly.

“...my grandfather disowned me. She didn’t try to stop him. My Mother sent me here to meet my father and learn from him, but it seems she and my Grandfather had expected me to come back. I didn’t. Grandfather said I was no longer a member of the family, and Mother stopped speaking to me.”

“They didn’t try to get you back?”

“They tried, certainly. Father put a stop to it. He…despises Mother. He told her that she was welcome to bring the issue to custody court, because once he won he could legally prevent her from ever coming back. The only reason he didn’t was because he wanted her to choose what was best for me.” He let out a loud scoff. “Not that either of them spoke to me about this, I found out on my own…”

Damian turned his head away from Colin. He felt himself closing off, shutting down. He didn’t want his soulmate to see him being vulnerable, he needed to be strong. For both of their sakes.

“...Dames?” Colin’s hand gently came to rest on his bicep. “I don’t know what it’s like to have parents fighting over me. I bet it sucks…” Colin’s voice pinched, and Damian felt bad for making him feel like this. “But…but they wouldn’t fight so much and so hard if they didn’t love you.”

Just like that, the ice starting to form around his heart melted away. He let out a short, shaky breath, and found his hand moving to cover Colin’s seemingly on its own.
“It’s okay.” Colin murmured softly. “We don’t have to talk about it anymore.”

Turning to face him again, Damian met Colin’s forest green eyes. Colin looked sad for him, but not pitying. He was composed, but open. It was clear that Colin simply wanted him to be happy. The quietest, loneliest part of his heart soared at the realization that there was someone who wanted that for him, with no strings attached.

“...thank you for understanding, Beloved.”

The smile he made by saying this to Colin was delighted but shy, the soft blush on his freckled cheeks nothing short of enchanting. “I like when you call me that.”

“And I like calling you that.”

“Then how come you wanted to wait?”

“...because I knew I would like it too much.”

Colin laughed softly, “You’re so…Damian sometimes.”

“Is that bad?” he asked, a small bit of worry starting to form in him.

“No. Never.” Colin squeezed his hand, then moved to settle against him again, his head on Damian’s shoulder, his arms around Damian’s bicep. “You wanna finish Watership Down?”

Fighting a blush at the intimacy, Damian settled in and pulled the snack bowl onto his lap. “Yes. May I finish this?”

“Sure, Dames.” Colin picked up the remote and hit play. Damian noticed the card sticking up between folds of the blanket, discarded. He found he didn’t care much. “Don’t let me fall asleep without seeing the ending.”

“I’ll wake you.” Feeling Colin fully relax against him was almost too nice. He’d have to make sure he paid attention to what was happening on screen.

—--

When he was sure the sound of what the boys were watching was loud enough, Bruce stepped away from the wall and left them in peace. He allowed himself to look back only once as he let his son’s words replay over and over in his head.

—--

Colin couldn’t stop fidgeting in his seat. He watched the buildings pass by as they made their way closer and closer to St. Aden’s. They were only just about to leave Gotham Village.

He felt Damian press the hand he’d been holding between his palms. “Beloved,” he said quietly. Colin looked away from the window. “You must stop fidgeting. You’re shaking the whole car.”

Smiling at his soulmate’s playful tone, Colin let out a nervous breath and tried to sit still. “I know. I’m just so excited to see the Sisters and the kids. It’s been so long.”

“It has been one week.”

“So long.” Colin dragged out the words, leaning more and more against Damian until he would have fell on his lap if he didn’t have his seatbelt on. His soulmate laughed and gently pushed him upright. “I can’t help it. I don’t usually stay away from St. Aden’s so long unless I got placed with fosters. Which means I wouldn’t be going back unless something was wrong…I dunno, it’s just nice to be able to go back without there being any problems, you know?”

Damian nodded, kind of half looking at Alfred up in the driver’s seat. It was just the two of them and Alfred today. Mr. Wayne said that as long as they stayed together and listened to Alfred then he trusted them to not need a chaperone.

“I’m sure they will be thrilled to see you. Especially since you come bearing gifts.” He nodded to the other front seat, which had a big basket full of homemade sweets and snacks.

Colin shrugged, but smiled. “It’s just some cookies and cupcakes and things. It was Alfred’s recipes, and he did most of the work.”

“No need to discount your contribution, Master Colin.” Alfred said, looking in the rearview mirror. “I was able to get much more done thanks to your help. And it was your idea to bring them as gifts in the first place.”

A proud feeling puffed out Colin’s chest a bit, though he still felt shy.

The rest of the week before today had been calm and nice. He and Damian spent a lot of time together, walking the grounds, reading together, watching something in Colin’s room before bed. There were a couple of times Damian needed to go with Mr. Wayne into his office to talk about business things, and when that happened Colin would usually go spend time with Alfred. The man always had something to do, but he never told Colin to go away. If he was cleaning or cooking he let Colin help, or if he didn’t need help he would tell Colin all kinds of stories. Colin had heard about everyone in the family by now, and it helped him feel closer to all of them. Even Tim, who still kept to himself mostly but said an awkward “hi” if they passed each other in the hall. Colin still hadn’t figured out how he wanted to try and make Damian and Tim hang out, and it didn’t help that Tim had been “busy” when they finally asked if he wanted to play a game with them.

“I feel I should inform you that St. Aden’s has begun renovations as of this past Monday.” Alfred said, stopping at a red light.

“Already?” Colin asked. “It usually takes longer for stuff like that to happen…”

“I assume it’s because of the publicity.” Damian rolled his eyes. “After all it wouldn’t look good if the place where we met didn’t get the help they asked for as soon as possible. Everyone is interested now.” He held out his phone to show Colin the picture he’d put online of the two of them. It had lots and lots of likes.

“I guess Dick was right.”

Yesterday they had a video call with Dick, who was still in Bludhaven, but was coming back tomorrow. When they told him how Mr. Wayne and they were going on Missy Warner’s talk show next week, he suggested that Damian should post about them. Apparently he’d been getting a lot of messages asking why he was hiding his soulmate, and he didn’t mention this to Colin because he didn’t want to worry him. When Colin told him that keeping secrets just worried him more, Damian looked really guilty, so Colin said they should just take a selfie or something and let that be that. Colin was actually the one who took the picture, and he thought it came out pretty good. He was going to ask later if they had a printer at the Manor so he could hang it up.

“Don’t tell him that, you’ll never hear the end of it.” Damian fondly rolled his eyes this time as he put his phone away.

Colin tried to follow Damian’s lead. He didn’t seem worried or anxious or scared…so Colin wouldn’t be either! It took another fifteen minutes, but they eventually pulled the car to a stop and parked across the street from St. Aden’s. And Colin could hardly believe his eyes.

“They took the fence down?!” Colin saw the tall iron fence was half up half down, a whole section of it gone.

“From what I understand they purchased the property next door. So that they could expand.” Alfred explained.

There were construction workers everywhere, carrying wood and tools and stone, a frame was already up on half of the building, looking like a coloring book without the color.

He could hear the sound of Alfred closing the door as he got out, then he felt Damian’s hand on his shoulder. “Beloved? Are you alright?”

Colin turned to him, his eyes still wide and his mouth still hanging open. “Do I look alright? I mean…I mean…” he almost violently waved his hand at the window. “I mean look at all this crap!”

Damian leaned back, away from him, his own eyes going wide as dinner plates.

Feeling his face turn hot, Colin traced the edge of the seat with his fingers. “Sorry.”

“You don’t have to apologize. I’ve heard worse from…well never mind. I’ve just never heard you cuss before.”

“I don’t like doing it. I used to have a really bad potty mouth, thanks to my first foster mom…” he muttered.

“...Colin, you knew there would be renovations. That was what the charity was for, to help improve St. Aden’s.”

Colin turned away from him. “I know but…I should’ve been here. To help. The kids are probably running around, getting in the way, making the Sisters stressed out.”

“You don’t know that for sure–”

That annoyed Colin. He didn’t like that at all. How would Damian know what he knew? He shouldn’t get to decide that. “Yes I do.” Colin snapped, frowning at him. “Don’t tell me what I know.”

When Damian frowned back at him Colin realized what he said, and how he said it. He felt his shoulders hunch up and his head tilt down. Damian watched him do it, and his face changed from what Colin guessed was annoyed to uneasy. For a second they were both silent while looking at each other, and it was awful. Why did Colin talk to him like that? He hasn’t done that in a long time. He knows better.

Then they heard Alfred lightly tap on the window behind Colin.

“Alfred’s waiting.” Colin reached back to grab the door handle, but Alfred opened it first.

“Colin–”

“Let’s just go, okay?” Without waiting for an answer he scooted out of the car. Damian got out next, his mouth twisted to one side.

“Is something wrong?” Alfred asked. He got the gift basket out from the front seat.

“No, Pennyworth.” Damian made his face look normal. “Colin doesn’t wish to keep them waiting.” He held his hand out to Colin, but didn’t look at him when he did it. When Colin took it it felt different then any of the other times they held hands. It was looser, like Damian wasn’t holding on as tight as before. Colin felt guilt sit like a rock in his stomach.

The front gate was open. That weirded Colin out, because after they crossed the street they just walked up to the front door like it was no big deal. Before the front gate screeched a little when it opened, and even if they were inside they could still hear it. It meant no one could sneak up on them. And the front yard had construction people moving back and forth and almost bumping into them the whole way. It almost felt like they were invading the place.

Before they could knock the door opened. Sister Carrie smiled at them. “Colin! It’s so nice to see you!.”

“It’s nice to see you too, Sister Carrie. How are you?” He let her squish his face between her hands. She liked doing that to them whenever they were being cute or coming back from being away.

“I’m doing very well, sweetie.” She waved inside the door. “Come in, come in. It’s so hot out today. The kids are in the kitchen, you all can get something to drink.”

“Thank you, Sister. But I am sorry to say I am merely dropping off the boys, and this.” He gave her the basket with a smile. “Colin and I prepared them for the children.”

“How nice! Thank you both, we’ll have to try them right now, since it is almost snack time.”

“I have a few errands to run, but I’ll be back to get them in an hour or so. And I don’t believe they want me to hover.” Alfred turned to them. “You’ll both be on your best behavior for the Sisters, won’t you?”

“Y-Yeah.” Colin nodded.

“Of course, Pennyworth. We’ll call you if you are needed.”

Alfred tipped his hat to Sister Carrie, she smiled, and he walked back to the car. Sister Carrie closed the door behind them. “Children! Look who’s here!” she called.

A little face popped around the corner of the kitchen doorway. Colin saw the big grin appear on Mason’s face as he ran back into the kitchen. “Guys! Colin and Damian are back!”

Letting go of Damian’s hand, Colin jogged into the kitchen. He was just in time to have the other kids swarm around him. Next thing he knew he had Kasey and Luke wrapped up in a big hug. He could feel a tiny body climb up on his back and knew it was Tyler before he heard the boy happily yell his name. Rosita, Mason, Janie, and Ethan completed the hug circle by coming in on either side and wrapping their arms around the rest of them.

“I’ve missed you guys so much!” He let the others go, but helped boost Tyler up on his back better. “What’s going on?”

“It’s art time.” Janie said. She was second youngest, before Tyler. She held her blonde pigtails in each hand, and Colin could see that she’d markered the ends of her hair again. This time they were green. Ever since she saw someone with dyed hair she started doing that. Thankfully they were washable markers.

“Art time isn’t supposed to be until after lunch.” But even as he said that he saw the art supplies on the kitchen table.

“We gotta do a lot more art time for a while.” Rosita put her hand on her hip, doing her usual sassy pose. “The Sisters don’t want us bothering the contractors.”

“That is because they are very busy, and don’t need little ones constantly underfoot.” said a stern voice.

Colin’s head snapped up at the unfamiliar voice. He saw a Sister stand up from one of the benches by the kitchen table. But he’d never seen her before. She had a full habit like Sister Agnes, she was very tall, and much older with many lines on her face. The fact that she was frowning didn’t help either.

“W-Who are you?”

“Oh, how silly of me.” Sister Carrie came over and stood by the other Sister. “You haven’t been introduced yet. Colin, this is Sister Mary Elizabeth. She and a few other Sisters are coming over from St. Florian’s. Since we’re able to expand, and because St. Florian’s is over crowded, some of the children and Sisters will move here so that there’s plenty of space for everyone. The new Sisters will take turns visiting for now, until they have a place to sleep.”

“Oh. T-That’s great.” Colin wished he would stop stuttering, but he put on a brave face and hoped Sister Carrie wouldn’t notice.

She didn’t. Ethan asked her what she was carrying and as soon as she told them the kids crowded around her asking if they could have a treat. “Sister, would you help me pass these out? Now, now, everyone make a line. You’ll each get to have two snacks, but that’s it.”

Colin had just put Tyler down at the end of the line when he heard a voice whisper in his ear. “What is St. Florian’s?”

Jumping a little in surprise, Colin felt bad for forgetting for a minute that Damian was there too. He whispered back, “Gotham City’s other orphanage. It’s in the East End. It’s bigger, and always got more funding. Most orphans are in foster families, but after a lot of bad fosters got arrested for abuse and neglect a few years ago they needed to go either here or there instead. But the kids from St. Florian’s are the worst.”

“Why?” Damian asked, eyebrows furrowed.

“Because they think they’re so great! They have money and funding, they can do after school activities we couldn’t afford to do, and they have better clothes and food and stuff, and they have a bigger property. Some of them go to my school, and some of the high and mighty religious ones think that St. Florian is better than St. Aden because he’s the “real” patron saint of firefighters–!” Colin stopped ranting, puffing out a breath in frustration. “It’s a whole thing, I don’t want to get into it.”

“I don’t mind–”

“Shh!” Colin lightly wacked Damian’s arm with his hand. They’d been at the end of the line of kids, moving up with the rest, but now they were at the front and the Sisters were right there. “Later!”

Sister Carrie held the basket so he could look inside. “Which one would you like, sweetie? These all look so good, did you help make them?”

“Um, yeah.” He looked at the treats that were left, but he didn’t feel hungry. “But I uh had some earlier, so I’ll just have a drink. Is that okay?”

“Of course. Why don’t you help the kids with their drinks, too? You remember where the cups are?”

“It’s been a whole week, but I think I remember.” He said, playfully, putting on a bigger smile than he felt like having. He went over to the cabinet and pulled out the reusable plastic cups and passed them out to the kids. He gave the pink one to Rosita because it was her favorite, and made sure Mason and Luke had the same color so they didn’t fight, and so on. Because how could he ever forget. He tried not to let what she said bother him, because of course she didn’t mean it like that.

He was bringing over the milk jug when he saw Damian sit down next to Jaine in one of the only two open spots. “What are you working on?” he asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked at her picture.

Janie remembered her good manners and finished chewing her snack before answering. “It’s a giraffe! See ‘cause it has a long neck.” She poked her picture.

“Tt.”

At the sound of that noise Colin tensed. He looked up from pouring the milk into one of the cups, worried Damian was going to say something that wasn’t nice.

“Did you know,” he broke one of the cookies on his napkin in half, “that giraffes have the same amount of vertebrae in their necks that humans do, only much longer?”

“Really?” Janie’s eyes lit up. She loved giraffes ever since they took that trip to the zoo at the end of the last school year. She wasn’t the only one, the other kids were looking over at Damian in wonder, too.

“It’s true.” Damian popped part of the cookie in his mouth.

Colin smiled a little, relaxing as he poured milk into the other kid’s cups. “Damian knows a lot about animals.” he told them.

“Really?” Mason asked, holding up his own picture. “What about owls?”

Damian smirked. “Owls are unable to move their eyes the way we can.” He moved his eyes up, down, left, and right. “They’re stuck in place. That’s why their heads can turn so far around.”

The kids oohed and ahhed. The more impressed they looked, the more confident Damian seemed to feel. As Colin put the milk away he heard Kasey ask, “What about bats, what about bats?” in an excited, high pitched voice.

“The largest bat species in the world is called the Flying Fox, and their average height is taller than I am.”

“But not taller than Batman!” Luke said, making the other kids laugh.

Even Damian chuckled. “No, not taller than Batman.”

Colin took the other open seat, across from Damian. For the next few minutes he kept telling the kids all kinds of interesting facts about any animal they asked about. Colin watched him the whole time, feeling almost jealous how easy of a time he had with them, even though they were practically strangers to him. Colin could have never done that if he were in his shoes. Damian pushed over the napkin his snacks had been on after he finished his cookie, and he didn’t stop talking to do so. That was when Colin saw a piece of the peanut butter brownies Alfred had made. He realized Damian had given up having two snacks so he could grab the treat he knew Colin liked best and save it for him. Even though Colin had been acting like a butthead…

Sister Carrie and the other Sister came up and put the kid’s drawings into a pile so they could find them later. After snack time was movie time, so when the kids finished eating they went up to the sink to wash their hands and head into the playroom. Damian noticed Colin looking at him and tilted his head slightly.

“You didn’t have to do that…” Colin whispered, holding up the brownie in both hands.

He couldn’t figure out the look on Damian’s face, he only knew that he wasn’t angry. Damian just reached over to gently push his hands closer and said, “Eat.” Then he got up and went to the sink himself.

Colin felt his eyes sting. He shoved the whole brownie square in his mouth so he wouldn’t have to say anything. The back door opened before he could swallow, and in walked Sister Agnes and Sister Rachel carrying bags of groceries. “Hello dears, we’re back. Have you all been good?”

“Yes!” The kids called out, smiling at the two.

“Oh, hi Colin!” Sister Rachel said as she set the bags she was carrying down. “I almost forgot you two were visiting today.”

Colin almost flinched, but reminded himself that she didn’t mean it that way. He went to say “hi” but since his mouth was still full he only managed to say, “Mmph!” A few crumbs of brownie flew out of his mouth onto the table. He felt his face turn red.

“Here, Colin.” Damian reappeared at his side and gave him a napkin.

Colin finished chewing and wiped his mouth clean. “Sorry…” he said to the Sisters.

Thankfully, the Sisters didn’t scold them when they forgot their good manners. They just kindly reminded them to do better next time, and praised them when they did do good.

Sister Agnes had her kindest smile on her face as she came over to him. “I’m happy to see how excited you are to see us.”

She waited until he stood up so that she could give him a hug. “How are things going? With the construction and stuff?” he asked, awkwardly, stepping back to look up at her.

“As well as we could hope. We’re still getting used to the noise, and the children miss playing outside. It will only be for a short time. But let’s not take up your visit talking about that. I’m so glad to see you, both of you.” She turned to Damian, who was standing next to them, and cupped his cheek like she did the last time she saw him. “How are you, Damian?”

“Very well, thank you Sister.” he said, blushing a bit at the attention.

She started to say something else when that other sister came up to her. “Reverend Mother, the construction workers wished to speak with you about your new office.”

“Did they say what about?”

“I believe they were confirming the size–”

“Reverend Mother?” Colin asked, shocked. His brain had started to fritz the second he heard Sister Agnes called that. She’d never been called that before.

“We shouldn’t interrupt others, dear.” Sister Agnes rested a hand on his shoulder and turned back to Sister Mary Elizabeth. “I’ll speak to them as soon as the children are settled for movie time. Would you help the other Sisters with the groceries, please?” She turned back to Colin. “It’s only a title, a way to show respect to the Sister in charge. A formality. It’s very kind that the others believe that I’m worthy of it.” She seemed embarrassed, but happy.

Colin fought back everything in him that felt like screaming. She was Sister Agnes. She’d always been a Sister. Why, why, why did that have to change too? Why did he miss everything important happening around here?!

“So…” he swallowed, and cleared his throat, “So you got a promotion?”

“Well I supposed you could think of it like that.” She tilted her head to the side. “Are you okay, Colin?”

‘No! Of course I’m not okay! But that’s not okay, either!’ he yelled inside his head. He couldn’t even look at her right then, he just stared at the floor.

He felt Damian take his hand. When he squeezed it made the voice in his head seem a lot quieter. “Perhaps this is overwhelming…?”

Sister Agnes’ hand gently stroked his hair. “A lot has changed all of a sudden for you…again. It’ll be alright, Colin.” She tilted his chin up. He could see the worry and sadness for him on her face. “Why don’t you and Damian sit out on the back porch for a few minutes? It might help you feel better?”

“Yeah.” Colin said. She looked more worried when he didn’t say anything else, but she let Damian lead him to the kitchen door and then outside without saying anything else.

Of course that was different, too. Two big construction guys walked by carrying a giant stack of wooden boards. They said hi when they saw them, but only Damian said hi back.

“Colin?” Damian followed him down the back steps when Colin let go of his hand. “Where are you going?”

“I can’t be here right now, okay?” He snapped, even though he hated that he was still acting like a jerk. “I need to take a walk.” He went over to the big bush against the back fence. After looking around to make sure the construction people weren’t paying attention, he pushed the branches of the bush apart, showing the gap in the fence where one of the poles was broken in half. It left a gap big enough for most kids to get through onto the street. He looked at Damian over his shoulder. “You coming or what?”

Damian looked with wide eyes at the gap in the fence, then back at the closed door to the kitchen. Then back at Colin. “...we can’t be gone long. They’ll notice.”

“I know.” Colin said, climbing through the gap and holding the branches for Damian. “That’s why we need to get going.”

Chapter 14

Chapter Text

The little green person showed up on the sign as the orange hand went away. Colin and Damian crossed with a few other people, moving yet another street away from St. Aden’s. Colin had his hands shoved into the pockets of one of Damian’s borrowed rain jackets. It was very hot and humid out, but it was supposed to rain in the afternoon. Alfred told him he should wear it just in case, but now the plastic-y fabric was sticking to his bare arms and annoying him.

He looked at Damian walking next to him. His soulmate had his own jacket open, and was looking at Colin out of the corner of his eyes, but looked away when he saw Colin looking back at him.

They went around a corner, passing the comic shop Colin liked to visit sometimes. The hotdog cart was there, but the owner didn’t notice them. Colin was glad, because even though she was a nice lady, he didn’t want to bring them a lot of attention right now. The street was empty, and Colin knew he’d cross the next street to pass by the furniture store before even thinking about heading back.

Damian pulled his phone out of his pocket, turned the screen on, then off.

“What are you doing?”

“I was checking to see if Pennyworth texted me. If the Sisters notice we’re gone, they will most likely call Father…”

“If you don’t want to get in trouble you can just go back.”

Colin saw Damian stop walking, so he stopped too. He looked back to see Damian staring at him, hurt. “Colin, please. I can see you are upset. What can I do? How can I make this better?”

“You can’t.” Colin’s voice cracked. “You don’t understand, Damian.”

“Then help me to understand.” He walked closer, putting his hand on Colin’s arm. “I hate to see you so unhappy.”

Biting his lip, Colin looked around. He saw the store they stopped in front of was an empty one, the owner got arrested months ago for selling drugs in the back. He went and sat on the empty window ledge and after a second Damian sat next to him.

“...it’s just so hard.” Colin admitted, his shoulders hunching. “I know things change. But St. Aden’s was always the same. No matter how many times I came back. It’ll never go back to how it used to be…and I feel so sad…” He rubbed his eyes, even though they only burned but didn’t have tears yet. “That means it’s over, you know? What my life was like before. But I didn’t change…I’m still so messed up.”

As soon as Colin said it, he knew that was what had made him so snappy and angry. He didn’t like this about himself, and sometimes he wished he could beat up that weak, scared part of him until it never ever came back. He wanted to be a normal kid like Damian, and not have little things twist him up inside until he felt like the freak his last foster dad said he was…

“Colin, you are not messed up.”

“Damian, look at me!” Colin stood up and held his arms out. “I’m about to cry just because the orphanage my mom abandoned me at is getting renovated! A-And there’s some random Sister there acting like she’s better than the others, and she’s from St. Florian’s of all places. Sister Agnes isn’t going to be a Sister anymore. None of that stuff is bad I guess, but it’s different and I don’t fit in there anymore. Ugh!” He kicked the bricks under the window. It didn’t hurt. Not really. “I’m not like you, Dames. I can’t just walk in and wow everyone with animal facts and be fine around a bunch of people I don’t know and changes I don’t see coming.”

“You think I am not affected by such things?” Damian stood up, staring Colin down. “You believe I wasn’t unsure of myself? That I didn’t worry that the people you care for would find me lacking? Of course I did! Yet I didn’t lash out at you over my own insecurities. And it is unfair of you to do so to me!”

Colin felt like his stomach knotted up. When Damian hadn’t said anything about how he was acting he could pretend he wasn’t being so mean. But he was being mean, and the things he said and the way he acted was hurting Damian, his soulmate. He looked down at the sidewalk, feeling a tear roll down his cheek after he blinked. “I-I know it’s n-not fair. I’m sorry…” He hiccuped a sob once, even though he tried not to, and hugged his arms around himself.

Then he felt Damian pull him into a hug. “Please don’t cry, Beloved…” Damian sounded so upset, which made Colin feel guilty for making him feel that way. “I didn’t mean to…you were already upset I shouldn’t have said…” He couldn’t finish any of his sentences, like he wasn’t sure what to say. “I’m not mad at you–”

“Yes y-you were!” Colin cried. He didn’t want Damian to pretend that he wasn’t. Colin could see it on his face as soon as he stood up.

Damian tensed up, then he pulled Colin closer. “But I am no longer angry. Truly, I was more frustrated–” he paused when what he said made Colin hiccup again, “It doesn’t matter, I forgive you, I swear.” he hurried to say.

Colin gently pushed him away so he could use the sleeves of his jacket to wipe his eyes, which felt uncomfortable. “C-Can you call Alfred? Let’s j-just go back to your house, I can’t t-talk to Sister Agnes right now…”

Damian made a face when called it his house, but asked, “Are you certain? You seem so close with her…”

Sniffing so he could clear his nose, which didn’t work and sounded gross, he said, “I can’t. I want to but…she’s gotta take care of the other kids. I’m not one of those kids anymore…” Saying that almost made him start crying again.

“She still cares for you. I know that. You know that.”

“Please, Damian.” Colin didn’t want to fight about it. He didn’t want to explain. He wanted to go back to his room and curl up on the covers of his bed and be by himself. He wanted Rory. He wanted Damian to forget he ever acted like this so things could go back to how good they’d been.

Whatever he saw on Colin’s face must have convinced him. He didn’t say anything, just nodded and put his hand in Colin’s and started to guide them back toward St. Aden’s. Colin for the most part just sniffled everyone once in a while, rubbing his cheeks with his free hand until he was sure they were dry. His mind did what it usually did when he was too bummed out. It emptied until all he noticed was whatever he could see in front of him. It was like being in a fog, or like one of the older kids who moved out years ago called it, a “funk”.

That was probably why Damian walking a little faster and holding his hand tighter surprised him. Colin looked at his face, but saw his soulmate staring forward, not looking at anything.

“Dames–?”

“Don’t look behind you,” he said too fast and too quietly, “We’re being followed.”

The muscles on Colin’s back tightened, it was almost like he could feel someone watching them. He wanted to look back so bad but fought it. “W-Who?” he whispered back.

“I’m not sure. There’s a gray, rusted van half a block behind us.” He slightly held up his free hand, showing his phone. “I saw the reflection before I could contact Pennyworth. They’ve been tailing us. I saw the same van a few streets ago.”

Pushing away the funk he was feeling, Colin started to pay attention to where they were exactly. “Are they reporters?” He was sure they weren’t, he had a bad feeling in his gut. The same feeling that had helped him survive living in the Narrows for ten years.

Damian hesitated. “I don’t think so. They would’ve approached by now. I don’t want to scare you–”

“It’s probably kidnappers. Don’t worry about my feelings right now, Dames.” Colin said softly. “We gotta get outta here.”

If Damian was surprised how well Colin took that he didn’t show it. He was looking up at the tops of the buildings. “If only we could get to the rooftops.”

“We can! Around this next corner and past like three or four stores there’s an alley. There’s a fire escape that’s stuck half up and half down. Me and some kids from school got up there once by climbing on the dumpster!”

“That’ll work.” Damian held his hand a little tighter. “Keep walking, but once we get around that corner we’ll need to sprint for it. Are you a good runner?”

“I grew up in Gotham. Of course I’m a good runner.” He squeezed Damian’s hand then let it go. He hoped Damian could keep up with him. “Did they get closer?”

Keeping his phone low, Damian tilted it and took another look. “Not yet. Let’s not give them the chance.”

They were already close to the corner when he said that. It was a haircut place with an old metal bench in front of it. When they started to turn, Colin saw a lady reading a magazine sitting on it, holding it up to cover her face like she wanted to be left alone. Otherwise the street was empty.

“Get ready…”

Colin risked a glance back just as the building was about to block the way they’d come. He saw the front of the gray van start to pull up to the corner, and felt his body get ready to run. His heart was beating faster. He rubbed his fingers together, wishing he had Rory to hug.

“Now!” Damian yelled as soon as they were far enough.

Both of them started to sprint.

—--

Between the corner and the alley Damian looked over at Colin three times. The first time he looked behind him, expecting to see Colin falling behind, unable to keep up. When he didn’t see him he had a moment’s terror fill up his chest. It was only when he realized he heard Colin running near him a half second later that he realized his soulmate was keeping pace with him very well. The red head’s form wasn’t what an athlete might aim for, but athletes weren’t running for survival. When Damian looked at him again he could see in the way Colin minded the uneven, cracked sidewalk how used to the terrain he was. He leaped a pothole with no hesitation, went around a trash can smoothly, and yet seemed no more out of breath than Damian was. The third time he looked at Colin the same time Colin looked at him, and he could see the other boy checking to make sure he, who Colin had every reason to believe didn’t know the Narrows like he did, was doing alright. He felt the guilt for doubting him get pushed away by a stronger rush of pride.

“There!” Colin quickly pointed to the upcoming alley.

“I see it! Hurry!” When Colin sped past, which also impressed him, he took a second to look back only to see the van come hurrying around the corner. “They’re coming this way!”

But after shoving his phone into his pocket and following, he found Colin standing under the fire escape and looking around desperately. His wide eyes turned to Damian. “The dumpster’s gone…!” he breathed out in mild panic.

“Nevermind that! We need to get you up there!” Damian laced his fingers together. “I’ll lift you, put your foot here!”

“But what about you?!” Colin grabbed his shoulder. “Can you get up on your own?!”

With a running start, he could. “There isn’t time! Just–!”

He was cut off by the sound of screeching tires. Whipping around to see the mouth of the alleyway he had a full view of the van, which must have drifted, now facing them. He had half of a second to register that their wheels were spinning.

“RUN!” he yelled. He caught Colin’s wrist in his hand as the two of them had to sprint toward the other end of the alley as fast as they could. Behind them he could hear the metallic clang when the van hit the trash can between them and the van’s front bumper. He wouldn’t be surprised if one of their side mirrors had broken off, because their pursuers seemed to care little about what they might hit.

When they were nearly out he felt Colin start to trip when he pulled him too hard. “Damian!”

With hardly enough time to do so he managed to pull Colin to him and wrap his own arms around his soulmate’s head to cushion it after throwing them to the ground and out of the path of the van. The wind from it just missing them tugged at his rain jacket.

Damian’s elbow throbbed from hitting the sidewalk in place of Colin’s head. Thankfully his jacket prevented the skin from being scraped raw. The sound of the van hitting the brakes fast made him move until he was kneeling.

“Quick, get up!” He tried to pull Colin until he was kneeling too, but the other boy couldn’t seem to get his legs under him. He saw that one of his knees was bleeding thanks to those terrible old jeans he brought from St. Aden’s.

They both heard the van doors open, and Damian watched as four men dressed in dark colored street clothes got out of the back. The driver stayed behind the wheel. All of them were covering their faces in one way or another.

Desperate, Damian pulled one of Colin’s arms over his head. He would carry his soulmate if he had to. They hadn’t gone more than three steps before he felt Colin being ripped away from him.

“No! Help!” Colin screamed.

“Unhand him!” Damian wasn’t able to get his balance right, so when he got shoved he fell onto his back.

One of the other kidnappers tried to jump onto him to pin him down. Coiling up in time, Damian landed a kick into the man’s solar plexus. He doubled over with a grunt, followed by a groan of pain.

“I told you! The brat knows karate! I saw it online!” One of the two men holding Colin called out. He had Colin by the legs, another held his upper body. Not that Colin wasn’t giving them a fight. He kept twisting and writhing out of their grasp, enough so to bring his foot into one of their faces and an elbow into the other’s. Yet they still managed to keep hold of him.

Damian got up from the ground only to be intercepted by the other standing kidnapper before he could help Colin. He stood, feet apart, hands facing him, not unlike one of those sportspeople Damian saw in passing on the television. He looked ready to lunge and grab him if he tried to run either direction. The fool. Damian made it seem like he was going to run right, and when he lunged Damian got in close enough to bring his fist harshly into the man’s Adam's apple. He ignored the gurgled groan he let out in order to kick his knee hard enough for him to fall to the concrete. The scream he heard was more satisfying than it should have been.

“No!” Colin’s panicked scream made him look up in time to see them forcing a bag over his soulmate’s head. Colin was held down against the floor of the van, kicking uselessly to try and get free. Damian swore he saw red when Colin whimpered from either fear or pain.

“Let him go!” Damian moved barely two steps toward them, ready to tackle them and claw their eyes out with his bare hands. But he stopped as soon as another kidnapper he hadn’t seen inside the van pulled out a gun and pointed it at Colin’s covered head.

“Alright that’s enough you little sh*t!” The gunman looked pissed off behind the black bandana covering his face. “Think you’re tough, huh?! Well if you don’t wanna kiss your little soulmate goodbye, you’ll get in the f*ckin’ van! Now!” To emphasize the point he pulled the gun back to co*ck it, then pressed it against Colin’s head.

Damian felt his stomach freeze over. He wouldn’t. He couldn’t. If anything happened to Colin… “My father won’t pay you a cent if anything happens to us!” He didn’t have to play up the fear in his voice. They certainly weren’t acting like common kidnappers.

“Try me.”

He saw the two men he’d assaulted come up on either side of him from the corners of his eyes. One grabbed his bicep in a vice grip, the other a fistful of his jacket. As they started to march him toward the van his mind began to race. ‘I can’t let them take us. Father would be able to track us through our phone apps, but if they take them and discard or destroy them Father may not find us fast enough. I have the lockpick in my shoe, but I’ve already shown them too much. What if they suspect that I’m Robin? What if Colin suspects that I’m Robin? Father’s orders were clear, I can’t tell him yet!’

There was one plan of action that came to mind. It was a gamble. A huge one. It would mean that he wouldn’t risk Father not finding them, he wouldn’t have to sit around and wait for them to be rescued, and he would be the one to fix this all himself. But it would mean risking Colin…

Damian dug his feet into the ground about a yard away from the van’s side door. “Do you need both of us?” He managed to ask, even as he felt himself shake from forcing out the words.

“What?” One of the two imbeciles holding him barked out.

“You heard me.” Damian forced his voice to be steady. “Do you need both of us, or just one of us? Father will pay the same either way.”

The kidnappers were silent as they gave each other disbelieving looks. Which made it more gut wrenching to hear Colin’s muffled, scared voice say, “Damian?”

When they turned to look at the man wearing the bandana, who must be the one calling the shots, the driver haltingly asked, “The bounty was for the ginger, right?”

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Damian gritted out, swiftly and brutally bringing his elbows into the stomach’s of the men on either side of him. Their grip now loosened, Damian ducked away from them and pivoted hard until his back was to them. Then he was sprinting away. Away from the kidnappers, but also away from Colin.

Despite his heart hammering in his ears and his shoes pounding into the pavement, he heard one of them curse.

“Let him go running off to daddy if he wants! We need to get this brat outta here! Move!”

Damian heard the sounds of them getting into the van, but they were drowned out by Colin crying out his name over and over. “Damian! Damian! Come back! Please! Damian, don’t leave me! PLEASE!”

The more he begged the more it felt as if knives were carving into Damian’s heart. He’d never heard Colin more desperate, more afraid. The sound of his voice being cut off by the van door closing caused Damian’s steps to slow. He was at the end of the street but he wanted to run back to the van and throw himself against the door until they let him in. The sound of the van screeching as it drove away made him want to throw himself under the tires. How could he have done this to his soulmate?!

Forcing himself to focus, which was the hardest thing he’d had to do so far in his life, he kept running, aiming for another alley he’d passed with Colin a few streets back. He found himself tripping or almost running into things, because every other moment Colin’s screaming voice would echo back and forth across his mind, bringing with it the chest crushing guilt and fear.

As Robin he had often gone off on his own plenty of times, paying little mind to the others even when he was meant to be patrolling with them. It had taken Father months and months to drill into him to not act so cavalier about his own safety, and to not disregard the people he was supposed to be working with, that he was meant to be building trust with. Working with someone you didn’t trust meant things could go wrong. Even then, there had been times where it was necessary to fall back and let the others take attention from the criminals while he went off and diffused a bomb or deactivated a computer. Sometimes not being there had meant someone else had gotten hurt. That was the risk of the job, that was what they’d all known going into it. This, leaving Colin in the hands of kidnappers, even in order to save him, felt like more of a betrayal than any of the other callous or cruel things he had done to any of the Bats.

Partially on autopilot, Damian reached the alley and wall jumped up onto another fire escape. The ladder for this one was in good condition, and so it slid farther down after he grabbed the bottom rung. Damian had nearly slipped from it, but managed to hang on and pull himself up. Once on the roofs he moved much faster, making his way back toward St. Aden’s. He had to hope his track of the time was right and that Pennyworth was there by now.

Without his grapple he had to stick to rooftops that he could safely jump to. He was thankful there was enough of a path for him to travel to reach St. Aden’s in minutes. Stopping on a roof near the corner, he was able to make out not only Pennyworth’s car parked across the street as it had been earlier, but also Pennyworth himself approaching the front door. Damian only had a narrow window of time to get to the trunk, so he stopped wasting it and got down by the building’s fire escape.

After patrol the night before, Damian packed an extra of his Robin suit and belt into a duffel bag and brought it up into the manor. Father was finishing up his reports on the Batcomputer, but Pennyworth had been in Father’s study when he entered.
“Ah, Pennyworth. It’s good that you are here. I’ve been thinking and decided that since you, Colin, and I are going out tomorrow it might be best to have these on the off chance of something going wrong. Would you put this in the trunk of the car we’ll be taking?”

He handed the older man the duffle and watched as he pulled the zipper open just enough to glimpse what was inside and raise his eyebrow before closing it again. “Of course you know I admire preparedness, but would it not be best to call on your father or your brothers if the need should arise?”

Knowing the butler didn’t mean any sort of slight by saying this, Damian disagreed. “If it is something I can handle on my own I would rather do so myself. After all, I am capable.”

“Of course, young master. I suppose there’s little harm in having it. Should I bring you the spare key for the trunk?”

“I’m sure that won’t be necessary, but thank you.”

Only now could Damian realize how wrong he’d been. Kneeling behind the trunk of the car, he pulled the lockpick from his shoe and got to work opening the trunk. Thankfully he’d been trained to do this blindfolded with a knife to his throat as an incentive not to fail. It was opened in under forty seconds, and before the minute was up Damian already had the duffel bag over his shoulder and the trunk closed. When he saw the front door of St. Aden’s starting to open he quickly ducked onto another street.

Damian had all he needed, except a safe place to change. He pulled out his phone to open the app he used the other day in order to see if Colin’s tracker was still functioning. His relief when he saw it was nearly made his knees buckle, but that quickly faded when he saw that Colin was being taken in the direction of Crime Alley. Of all places.

He needed the nearest safe house. Now. Going through the options he turned on the function that showed where they were located. Unfortunately the nearest one made him groan out loud in frustration.

“Of course it’s Todd’s…”

—-

The cage was big enough for Colin not to feel trapped in something too small. But it wasn’t tall enough to stand up in. Not that he could, since his hands were duck taped in front of him and his feet were duck taped together. And even if he could free them, the men who took him were standing around the big room they were in, and the cage was pushed against the back wall far away from the door. Colin guessed they were waiting for something to happen.

Before, when the van closed and they started driving away, he felt someone kick him on the back. They told him to shut up, so Colin gave up on calling for Damian. The ones holding him down against the floor, which felt gross and dirty, had been the ones to tie him up. It was hard to understand everything they said with the bag over his head, but he definitely heard the boss guy say he was gonna message “the buyer” when they got to the warehouse.

They stopped eventually, and Colin felt them grab him and drag him up out of the van before he was tossed over one of their shoulders. The guy was really muscly, so his shoulder dug into Colin’s stomach too much, and it hurt. He couldn’t help thinking about how Dick had playfully lifted him up at the party, or how gently Mr. Wayne had carried him into the manor. They never would have treated him as rough as these guys did.

The bag slipped off his head while he was being carried, and that’s when Colin realized how many people were in what he guessed was their warehouse. There’d only been six or seven kidnappers in the van, but now Colin was being carried through a crowd of maybe twenty or thirty people, and they were all looking at him. Some were smirking, some looked away like they felt guilty, and some made faces and lunged at him like they wanted to scare him. After a few seconds Colin looked down at the ground, but that just made some of the meaner ones laugh at him.

After going through a doorway into the room with the cage, the guy carrying him stopped in the middle of it. Before Colin could do anything, he felt himself being dropped down onto the floor. It was concrete, and hitting it sent a heavy wave of pain through his back and shoulder, making him yelp. That made them start laughing again, and Colin turned over onto his belly so he wouldn’t have to see them standing over him like they thought they were better.

A person wearing two black boots walked in front of him and squatted down. Looking up, Colin saw it was the bandana man. There was light coming in from a window on the ceiling, and it lit up his face weird. He held a gun in one hand, but his finger wasn’t over the trigger. Colin didn’t let that make him feel relaxed.

“That’s some soulmate you got. Shoulda guessed a brat like him would run away as soon as things got dangerous.”

Colin stared down at the floor. He wanted to say he was wrong, that Damian was the bravest, kindest person Colin had ever met. Even if he was rough on the outside, inside he was good. A bad guy like him could never understand…

“What’s so special about you, anyway?” he asked, eyes narrowing. “Why does some guy want to pay five hundred grand for you?”

Why would Colin know that? What a dumb question. “I’m Damian Wayne’s soulmate, you just said that.”

“Funny thing about that, kid. The bounty for you was put up the day before you met the Waynes.”

…what? Colin’s thoughts kept turning over and over. Before anybody had any reason to care about Colin at all, somebody was going to pay a lot of money for him to be kidnapped? Why?

“Well whatever, not like I give a sh*t either way.” He stood up. “We’re gonna see if your little soulmate’s idea about his daddy paying up for you is any good. If it is, maybe we won’t give you to that “w-k-s” guy. But he’s gonna haveta cough up a lot of dough.”

‘w-k-s? That’s like my last name, Wilkes.’ Colin thought. Not that he had much time to think about it.

Before he walked away the bandana man yelled, “Put him in the cage! And somebody find a voice scrambler online and look up the Wayne’s number! Before the Bats get any wind of this!”

The guy who carried him before picked him up around the middle while another guy ran over to the cage and swung the front of it open. He was tossed inside it, and because his hands were tied he couldn’t stop himself from landing funny. Colin only managed to sit up in time to see them put a sucky bike lock around the bars.

Now Colin was sitting there, his knees pulled up to his chest and his arms around them as best he could while tied up. Without a clock in the room he didn’t know how long he’d been waiting. The people in the warehouse wandered in and out of the room he was in. A while ago everyone got quiet while the bandana man recorded a ransom demand. Colin didn’t know if they sent it yet, or if it would do any good.

It was hard, really hard, not to think about the worst things. Colin knew Damian wouldn’t have just left him for no reason. But the part of his mind that didn’t like himself told him that it was all Colin’s fault. He’d been acting like a big jerk all day, and Damian tried so hard to be patient. What if Damian decided he was too much trouble? What if that was what they all thought? A kidnapping would be a good way to have him be gone and never found. It wouldn’t be as embarrassing as them sending Colin back. Tim and Damian wouldn’t have to fight anymore, not if they had something in common…

Colin sniffled, and rubbed his face against his pants. He really hated how much his own brain hated him.

All of a sudden there was a weird sound. It was kind of like when the Sisters turned off the vacuum cleaner, like a whirring that goes quiet. When Colin lifted his head up he saw that the lights that had been on were off. It made the warehouse a lot darker than he thought it would since it was still daytime. It must’ve freaked out the kidnappers, because he was only just able to see them moving around in a panic.

“What the hell?!”

“The lights are out!”

“What’s going on?!”

Then Colin heard the front doors of the warehouse slam closed, and someone yelled, “f*ck! It’s the Red Hood! He’s out there! I saw him on the roof!” That name only made them panic more.

Colin couldn’t help moving closer to the bars, gripping them as best he could with his hands and trying to see past all the people. Was the Red Hood really here? Did he come to save him? Was gonna meet one of his favorite heroes?! Colin’s heart kicked up speed at the idea.

“Everyone calm the f*ck down! If he’s after the kid he can’t blow us up!” The bandana man yelled. That got them to calm down, or at least stay still. “You! Call the buyer and tell him if he wants the kid he’d better come and pick him up now! The rest of you get your guns and aim at the door, and for f*ck’s sake don’t hit one of us! Not you three! You go in the room with the kid and block the door! Don’t you let anyone in there!”

Three guys, younger looking ones, maybe teenagers, ran into the room Colin was in and did what they were told to do. They closed the double doors and one of them shoved a pipe between the door handles. The other two grabbed some crates and dragged them in front of the door. When they stepped back they pulled out a bat, a crowbar, and a big knife. Colin gulped at the sight of it, because it was almost as long as his arm.

“I hate that these doors are soundproof, man.” One guy said.

“Shut up.” The one with the knife snapped.

“How the hell did he find us?” The third guy sounded scared.

“You think he saw the other kid run away?”

“It doesn’t matter! Just get ready to fight!” The knife guy was sounding more and more mad. He swung his knife down and it made a fwsh sound in the air.

A few tense minutes passed. Colin couldn’t hear anything from the other room, just like they said. There could be a huge fight going on and they’d have no idea. Eventually the scared guy said, his voice shaking, “What if the Red Hood has backup?”

CRASH!!!

Colin’s eyes flew up to the window in the ceiling as the glass smashed. Pieces of it were raining down while a figure swooped down with them. He saw red, green, black, and yellow on their suit. The cape flying back looked like wings, especially with those sharp edges on the end. The figure landed in a crouch between the cage and the teens, his back to Colin and the glass crunching under his boots. His cape fluttered for a second before settling around him like a black pool of shadows.

His heart now racing even faster, Colin stared with wide eyes. “Robin…” he gasped.

Robin didn’t look at him, just stood from his crouch and pulled out a batarang, the light shining off it. The shng of the metal as it unfolded seemed so loud in the silent room. Robin’s voice was tense, angry even, but deadly serious. “So tell me, which of you is stupid enough to face me?”

The teens looked nervously at each other.

“I’m waiting.”

That must have made the guy with the knife mad, cause he ran at Robin and swung the blade down at him. Robin dodged to the side and cut his arm with the batarang, making him scream and drop the knife. Him bending forward to grab his arm made him low enough for Robin to slam his elbow into his temple. Colin couldn’t help wincing, because that had to hurt. The teen crumpled to the ground, passed out.

The scared teen dropped his weapon, and started trying to push the crate away from the door so he could get out. It must have been too heavy for him because he was struggling to barely make it budge. The other teen stepped forward, holding the bat in front of him. It was shaking really hard.

Moving his right foot behind him, Robin snapped it forward the next second in a roundhouse kick. The shin guards on his green boots must be made of metal, because before the bat went flying off to the side it splintered almost completely in half. While the teen was distracted from shock Robin switched the batarang to his left hand and brought the heel of his right up and into his chin. His head snapped back hard, and if that didn’t knock him out his head hitting the concrete floor sure did.

The crate the scared teen had been pushing was only moved about halfway when he jumped and looked back to see both his friends out cold. Robin walked toward him slowly, and Colin wondered if he did it to make the teen even more scared.

“Please!” He begged. “Don’t hurt me!” He got down on his knees. “I didn’t mean to–”

“Coward.” Robin hissed. Colin tensed at the sound of his voice. “You helped to kidnap a child, now you want mercy?”

“Please.” His voice was shaking really bad, and he held his hands out in front of him.

“Tt.”

Colin sat back, letting go of the cage bars.

Robin brought his hand out to the side and then karate chopped it against the teen’s neck. Colin had always thought that was just a movie thing and didn’t really work, but the teen fell on the floor and looked knocked out as far as he could tell. It was now so still and quiet in the room that Colin could see Robin’s shoulders moving as he breathed and stared down at the teen. After a second he kneeled next to him and gently put his fingertips on his neck. He must have been alive, because Robin pulled zip ties out of a pouch on his belt and tied the hands and feet of all three of them.

When Robin looked at Colin, Colin moved back in the cage. He wasn’t sure why he did it. The hero had to jog into the beam of light from the ceiling to get to the cage, and that’s when Colin saw that he had black hair and light brown skin. His own red hair fell over his eyes when he looked at the cage floor, his mind racing.

“Are you hurt?”

Looking up through his bangs, he saw Robin kneeling in front of him, one hand on a bar. Colin knew the masks they wore had white lenses, but it was weird to him that he didn’t know if Robin was looking right at him or not. His voice was quiet and gentle and…and familiar.

Colin slowly shook his head, but he wasn't doing it to answer Robin’s question

The green gloves he had on creaked when he grabbed the bar a little tighter. “I’ll get you out of here.” Robin reached into his boot and pulled out a tiny rectangle box. It was the same size and shape as the thing Damian hid in his shoe this morning when he thought Colin wasn’t looking. He’d figured Damian would tell him about it later. He still had the little box of bandaids that Sister Agnes gave him, and guessed that maybe it was the same kind of thing for Damian. But now he watched Robin open the box and use the tools to pick the lock on the cage and maybe…no. That would be unbelievable. He couldn’t be.

The lock opened and Robin pulled the front of the cage open. When Colin didn’t come out he walked a little closer on his knees until he was right in front of him. “Here, let me…” He picked up the batarang from where he put it on the floor and picked up one of Colin’s hands so he could carefully cut the duck tape around his wrists. The way his hand felt in Colin’s was so familiar it made Colin’s eyes sting.

Robin put his hand on Colin’s shoulder when he was done. It seemed like he was going to say something. But Colin…he just couldn’t keep it in anymore. Even if he was wrong, even if he embarrassed himself, he just had to know.

“...Damian?” he breathed out.

Robin got very still. He didn’t gasp like he was surprised. He didn’t say Colin was wrong either. So Colin lifted his head all the way to look into the eyes of that green mask. They could be a pale, icy blue underneath it.

“Please…i-is it really you?” Using his free right hand, Colin shakily lifted it until he touched the R symbol on the left side of his chest with his fingertips. “Are you Robin?”

Robin blinked once. Colin saw his throat bob when he swallowed nervously. Then a green gloved hand came up and covered his own, pulling it fully against his chest. No, against his heart. His voice was breathless too. “I’ve wanted to tell you for so long.” He timidly smiled. “I knew you would figure it out. I believed it from the first day we met.”

Colin let out a shaky sob and threw his arms around Robin shoulders, burying his face in his cape and hood. “I’m so s-sorry! I’m sorry f-for thinking even for a-a second that y-you would leave me behind!”

One of Robin’s arms pulled him close, the other one’s hand held the back of Colin’s head. “You couldn’t have known, Beloved. I…I was afraid they would take our phones, that Father would have a harder time finding us. If I couldn’t be Robin, I couldn’t protect you. They nearly ran us over, I didn’t know if they would hurt you if I went with you and couldn’t fight them. I’ll never forgive myself for leaving you alone with them!” At the end he sounded so mad at himself that Colin had to pull back and look at him.

“Don’t say that. I know why you did it. Mr–” Colin shook his head. “Batman doesn’t trust me yet. You had to keep it a secret, that’s how you guys stay safe.” He made sure to look Robin right in the eye. “I’ll never tell. Never.”

Robin’s smile was as soft as Damian’s ever were, and Colin was sure he blushed when he tucked his hair behind his ear. “I trust you.” he said. Hearing that made Colin feel like he was floating from happiness. “You guessed who Father is. Did you piece together the rest?”

Thinking about it, a lot of little things started to make sense. This explained why Damian, a kid, went along to W.E. a few days ago. Colin had seen later, after he figured out how to get the internet on his phone, that Wayne Towers got attacked by assassins, and that Batman, Red Robin, and Robin had stopped them. Dick had to go to Bludhaven because if he was Nightwing and then that was his turf. Cass…she must be the new Batgirl! The one before her had red hair but hadn’t been seen in a long time, then the new one with the new suit came along. And the blogs said she hasn’t been seen around in a little while, and Cass has been out of the country about the same time. Now it made sense why the grown ups all said some things a certain way, like there was more than one meaning. Plus once a day the last few days Damian had to go see his dad in his office, but that office must lead to the “cave” Batman was supposed to have.

“Wow. Everything makes a lot more sense now.”

Robin chuckled a bit, but stopped when one of the teens groaned quietly in pain. “We shouldn’t remain here.” He helped Colin onto his feet after cutting the rest of the duct tape off his feet. “I forget myself when I’m around you,” he admitted. “There are far more safe places to discuss these things.”

“Yeah. Let’s get outta here.” Colin agreed. It would be so cool to see Robin fight some more, but Colin knew he’d be in the way. When Robin started to push the crates away from the door Colin helped without being asked. “Shouldn’t we go out that way?” He pointed at the ceiling window.

“Red Hood has had plenty of time by now. If he doesn’t have the situation handled then he’s gotten sloppy.” They cleared the way and Robin gestured for Colin to stand behind him as he pressed his back against one of the doors. He pulled the pipe out and opened it a little. It was quiet out there, too. After a second Robin looked around the door. “Mm.” He relaxed at whatever he saw, tossing the pipe away.

“What?” Colin asked, nervous and excited at the same time.

Robin answered by opening the other door and showing the big main warehouse room. All the kidnappers were laying around the floor, most with their hands zip tied together or to a pipe on the wall or the feet of another kidnapper. Colin held Robin’s arm when he led him around them on the way to the front doors, which looked dented. Like they’d been kicked in. He was sure he saw some bullets randomly lying on the floor here and there, but no one seemed to be bleeding.

“Are they dead?” he whispered.

“There would be more blood and viscera. I believe he used rubber bullets for your sake.”

Colin nodded. “Cause he looks after kids. So…so the Red Hood is here?”

“You know of him.” It wasn’t a question.

“Course I do. The Narrows is his turf right? I’ve heard lots of stories, and most of them weren’t from online. He makes sure drugs stay away from our school, and I know he looks out for the night ladies.”

Robin actually stopped to look at him. Colin could tell one of his eyebrows was raised. “The night ladies?”

“You know…” Colin waved a hand and stuck his tongue out a little. He didn’t like thinking about it because he was too young not to think it was gross. “The ones who get in the cars with men so they can…kiss and stuff. Yuck!”

“Ah. Those night ladies. Of course.”

Colin’s mouth pulled to one side. “You’re making fun of me.”

“Perhaps. Just a little.” He held up his thumb and finger. There was maybe enough space to fit a piece of paper.

“You’re so bad.” Colin playfully shoved him.

From outside Colin heard four sharp whistles. There was a pause between each one. Robin lifted his hand to his mouth and repeated the whistles back. “Red Hood is waiting. The coast is clear.”

Colin nodded and followed him outside. Near the front door they passed a pillar. The bandana man was tied to it with rope. His face was real beat up, and the bandana was now knotted up and tied around his mouth. Colin looked away from him. He didn’t want to feel bad for the guy who held a gun to his head, even if that wasn’t the first time that happened to him.

The outside of the warehouse was surrounded by a junkyard, or at least a lot of old, broken cars. Colin looked around for the Red hood but didn’t see him. Until he heard someone clearing their throat, someone who sounded like a robot.

“You good, Gingersnap?”

Turning around, Colin looked back at the warehouse, and then up and up until he saw him. The Red Hood. He was standing on the roof, his dark red helmet shining in the sunlight. He was wearing a leather jacket and a red bat shaped symbol on his chest. There were guns on his hips and thighs and one in his hand that he opened the bottom of to count the bullets. He only looked up after he closed it and smoothly put it away under his jacket. Colin could feel how much he was shaking from looking at the Red Hood, and he knew his eyes were super wide.

Red hood chuckled, and his voice changer made it sound funny. “At least someone’s happy to see me.” He nodded his head in Robin’s direction. When Colin looked he saw the other boy looking at him and…pouting?

“What?” he asked, confused.

“Nothing.” Robin quickly looked away and that’s when it clicked.

“Hey. Robin was always my favorite.” He tried to sound sweet when he said it, because it wasn’t technically, all the way true. He’d always thought Robin was cool, but other heroes caught his eye more. The pics he’d seen of Robin were other boys, that was obvious now. Probably Dick and Tim, maybe even Jason Todd. He’d heard there was a new Robin, but he was really good at not getting caught on camera.

“Tt!”

“Honest! Don’t be jealous.” he teased.

“I’m not.” he huffed.

“You so totally are.” Red Hood piped in. “Relax, Demon. I’m not gonna take your tiny boyfriend, okay? I got my own ginger to put up with.” He looked at Colin and tilted his head to the side. “So he knows?”

Colin felt Robin’s hand rest on his back, and the other boy looked smug. “He figured it out on his own. I told you and the others how intuitive he is. I didn’t have to tell him anything at all.” The praise made Colin blush.

“Nice.” Suddenly his head snapped to the side. “f*ck! The batplane’s coming in hot!” He pointed off in the sky. Colin didn’t hear anything, but Red Hood probably has some awesome tech in his helmet that told him.

“Did you tell him what happened?!” Robin yelled as Red Hood started backing up.

“Hell no! You think I want him breathing down my neck for going out without being cleared?! I’m outta here, and you better not snitch on me!” He pointed between the two of them, and he sounded serious.

“You could have stayed out of this! I didn’t ask for your help!”

“You use my safehouse, you let me in on the job! That’s the deal, shortstack!” He gave Colin a quick two finger salute. “Good luck, Gingersnap!” Next thing Colin knew he was running to the back of the roof. If Colin had to guess, he was probably going to the window that Robin broke.

“Tt. He’ll be gone by the time Father returns us home.” The sound of a plane engine, a pretty quiet plane engine, started to get closer. Robin watched the sky until it came into view.

“Are you in trouble?” Colin asked. The way they both acted when they realized the plane was coming wasn’t a good sign.

“...there is a protocol to these things. I should’ve contacted Father…”

“But…but you saved me. That’s good isn’t it?”

“Yes of course.” Robin met his eyes. “Yet at the same time it isn’t so simple, Beloved. Let me do the talking.”

Colin didn’t feel so sure about this idea, but he watched the batplane fly overhead and then circle around and hover over the most open space in the junkyard before landing. It was so cool looking, and it was shaped like the bat symbol. Colin wished he could take a picture of it. The plane made the air around them push back their hair, Colin’s clothes, and Robin’s cape. After a minute it shut off and a ramp lowered from the underside.

Bruce Wayne was Batman. Colin figured he had to be, if Damian was Robin. But he wasn’t prepared to see the secretive figure come walking out in broad daylight, his black cape making him look like a walking shadow. The sun being behind him didn’t help, it made his face blend in, leaving only the glowing white eyes. He didn’t know when he did it, but Colin slowly inched behind Robin until he had his hands resting on his back as he peeked over his shoulder. Batman was his hero, Gotham’s hero, his soulmate’s dad. But when he finally stopped and towered over them, Colin realized he was also very, very scary.

“Talk. Now.”

Chapter 15

Chapter Text

Red Robin watched the batplane lift off from the ground, his cape blowing back from the air force. Batman put him in charge of checking the warehouse to see what the damage is. Apparently the little demon managed to cut the lights, subdue and zip tie everyone inside, then rescue his little soulmate. All in under thirty minutes. Beneath his mask he rolled his eyes. The arrogant little brat might be skilled, but not that skilled.

The batplane turned midair and began to make its way back to Wayne Manor. Reaching up with his free hand, Red Robin tapped his comm link until it tuned in to the listening device he’d put under the passenger seat in back after Batman left the plane. If the little snots were going to get the lecture of a lifetime he wanted to hear every word of it.

It was quiet for the first few minutes. Red Robin left the channel open as he made his way inside the warehouse. His mask had night vision tech, so even though the lights were still out he could see just fine. Hell of a sight, too. Twenty eight men and women, all dressed in black, all lying around in various states of consciousness, all tied up. He made note of the ones who were tied to each other in a chain, the hands of some zipped to the feet of others. It was annoying them, making them tug at each other and piss each other off. It wasn’t like the demon to humiliate criminals like that. Insults directly to their faces was more his style.

In his comm the sound of someone shifting in their seat came through. Then he heard Colin whisper, “Is he mad?”

“If he is, it isn’t directed at you.”

“I don’t want him to be mad at you, either.”

Red Robin rolled his eyes, again. He was getting sick of the red head’s “sweet and timid” act. He remembered how Colin scolded those two kids at the fundraiser when he found them behind the tree, and he remembered the way his nose wrinkled whenever one of the guests said hi and tried to start a conversation with him. He’d felt bad for him when he got that panicked look from being surrounded by that crowd watching Dick and the kids. But that didn’t last. After patrol that night he’d read Colin’s school file. No kid who had that many suspensions and detentions for picking fights with other kids and his teachers was that sweet. Colin probably loved being the oldest kid at St. Aden’s, if it meant he could tell the others what to do all the time. But he couldn’t pull those tricks at the manor, where everyone else is bigger than him. Hence the act. Maybe he had Dick, Bruce, even Alfred fooled, but not Tim. With the demon’s “better than everyone” attitude, they were two peas in a pod. He’s glad that first dinner ended up being a disaster, because he almost fell for it, too.

Muffled yelling alerted him to the guy tied to a pillar. If he was singled out then he must be the leader. Might as well see what info he could get from him. Red Robin squatted in front of him, the fingertips of one hand keeping him balanced and the other hovering near his belt. He got quiet when he said, “I’m going to take your gag off. Are you going to play nice, and tell me what I want to know?”

The guy huffed for a minute. Then he seemed to reluctantly nod his head in agreement. When Red Robin pulled the gag out he saw that the guy was missing a tooth. Judging by the blood on his teeth and the way his lips were swelling he was willing to bet that was a recent thing. “f*ck…” His tongue poked his still bleeding gums.

“Did Robin do that to you?”

The guy actually did a double take. “Robin? Who the f*ck told you that? It was Red Hood, dude. That bastard’s an animal! He toyed with us! He was inside before we blocked the front door! That dumbass–” he tried to look around at the others, his nostrils flaring. “Said the Red Hood was outside, on one of the roofs of the places next door. But he was in here! As soon as we blocked ourselves in he got the drop on us! Literally, the bastard jumped down from the ceiling, man!”

Red Robin looked up at the rafters, wondering how Red hood managed to get inside without being noticed. He hated to admit it, even to himself, but that was impressive.

“Lift up my hoodie! Look what he did!”

Doing that, Red Robin saw what was clearly a wound from a rubber bullet. There was an almost crescent shaped cut, surrounded by a dark purple bruise, the center near the cut lighter in color. It was on his stomach near his left hip. That had to hurt like hell.

“You’re lucky it wasn’t a real bullet, you know. That’s what Red Hood prefers.” Red Robin let his hoodie fall back over the bruise. “And when he shoots with those, he aims at the head. If you’re lucky.” He watched the guy’s face turn pale at the info.

Standing up he got the attention of the other kidnappers who were starting to stir. “The police will be here any minute now. I suggest you don’t do anything else stupid.” He ignored the curses and groans of defeat as he made his way around, looking for any sign the Red Hood was here. He found a lot more injuries from rubber bullets, but no bullets themselves. There were shells from what he assumed were the kidnappers’ guns, though. Red hood must have collected his. If he didn’t want Batman to know he was involved, why come at all? He strongly doubted that Robin had asked for help.

Maybe he should pay Red Hood a visit. The former Robin had been avoiding him since Bruce came back from being lost in time. It was high time he got a few answers.

Red Robin leaned back against a wall as the GCPD came onto the scene. He answered questions as he was asked them, but he kept his other ear on the conversation he was eavesdropping on.

—--

Father took his time setting up the autopilot on the batplane. Robin was sure the cloaking device was active as they made their way over Gotham. It was an impressive piece of tech. It captured the sky above and mirrored it on the underside of the plane. Of course if they were stationary it would stand out, and at night it was usually better to let the plane’s black armor blend into the dark sky. Still, it was the one piece of tech Drake designed that he was willing to admit was admirable.

When Batman turned his chair to face theirs, the tech in Robin’s gloves, the same ones that let him know the teen he hit the neck of back in the warehouse was alive, picked up on Colin’s heart rate increasing. He let his hand reassuringly squeeze his soulmate’s. Batman might not have been intimidating to him anymore, but he couldn’t begrudge Colin for being wary.

Father let out a barely noticeable sigh before lacing his fingers together. “I want an explanation. Please.” He was careful not to demand it of them, because he of course picked up on Colin’s trepidation as well. Robin was glad his soulmate was present, if it meant Father was forced to be calm.

“Shall I begin from when we left home?” he asked, cautiously.

“How about from when you left St. Aden’s?” He must have been restraining himself quite a bit for only one word to come out on a growl.

Robin cleared his throat. “Very well.”

He walked Father through it, careful to explain exactly which streets they walked, crossed, or outright avoided. For less than half a second he debated whether to elaborate on why they stopped to talk, then decided against it. All Father needed to know was that they chose to rest for a minute before heading back. Colin breaking down and being pushed to tears could stay between them. He then explained how he noticed they were being followed and their attempt to escape to the rooftops. Father pulled down a panel from the wall that contained a keyboard so that he could record the appearances of the kidnappers and the van for the reports. He nodded once when Robin explained that the street Colin was taken on was deserted. He also didn’t seem surprised when he explained how he got his uniform from the trunk of the car Pennyworth was driving, so the butler must have let him know about that beforehand. Robin didn’t need to explain how he freed Colin from the warehouse, because he’d given a brief summary of that before they took off.

Father finished one more line of typing before turning to Colin. “When we get back you’ll be calling Sister Agnes to let her know that both of you are okay. Alfred told her that he would drive around and look for you, and then called her back after letting me know you two were missing. She and the other Sisters were very worried when they couldn’t find you.”

Colin lowered his head, the guilt obvious on his face. “Yes, sir.” He said, his voice strained.

“Whose idea was it to leave St. Aden’s?” Father looked between them.

Robin quickly said, “It was mine.”

Colin’s head snapped back up. “What? No, it was my idea.”

“Colin.” Robin tried to hold back the frustration. He’d told Colin to let him do the talking for this exact reason.

“But it was.” Colin frowned. “I’m not gonna let you get in trouble to protect me.” He looked at Father. “I needed to take a walk. I’m the one who showed him the hole in the fence. He tried to talk me out of it, but I wouldn’t listen.”

Robin resisted the urge to have any sort of tell appear on his face. It certainly wasn’t fair that he couldn’t take the blame for this and yet Colin was embellishing in order to make it seem like the fault wasn’t at least partially his. He didn’t try to stop him, and Colin knew it.

Father’s eyes narrowed. He couldn’t prove their story one way or the other, at least not where who was at fault was concerned. “We had an understanding. I agreed to let you two go without a chaperone because you agreed to stay at St. Aden’s. I knew kidnappers coming after you was a possibility, all of you kids have been targeted just from being associated with the Wayne name, but I didn’t want you to feel like you had no freedom. It’s difficult, very difficult, to be in the public eye constantly. Adding this,” here he gestured at himself, Robin, and the batplane, “to it makes it even worse. I had Red Robin watch the front of St. Aden’s just in case, which ended up being moot because you two snuck out the back.” Father eventually pulled the cowl off, showing the frustration in his voice was also on his face. “I cannot guarantee your safety if I have doubts about whether I can trust you or not.”

The lecture was familiar to Robin at that point. Father had tried calmly and then angrily telling him the same thing before more than once. His own pride had made him brush the words aside with little thought. But it was Colin’s first time hearing it, and Damian couldn’t only think of himself anymore.

“I’m sorry.” Colin said, meeting Father’s eyes and trying to show through words how much he meant it. “I won’t do it again.”

“Father, you must be reasonable. Colin may have realized who we are without being told, but he couldn’t have imagined that this was what he was getting into when he became a part of our family.”

“That may be true, but it doesn’t change that now Colin has the same responsibility that we all have to keep this secret.”

“I can keep secrets.” Colin assured.

Father rubbed his brow. “It isn’t just about not saying the words, ‘Bruce Wayne is Batman.’ You would either have to be careful with everything you say, at all times, or not say anything at all. It’s a heavy burden for me, an adult. You’re still young.” He sat forward, his voice gentle, but firm. “Do you understand what I’m trying to say?”

Colin, who’d been hanging on his every word with rapt attention, let the honest uncertainty show in his expression. He simply answered, “I’m trying to.”

Robin could see the subtle tells that said Father was unused to Colin’s response. He could imagine how strange it was, to not have what he said be taken as a challenge, or to not have it make someone feel defensive and untrusted. Colin was never presumptuous. He knew and understood he had limitations, that there were areas he was lacking in either skill or knowledge, and he accepted that about himself. Not only that, but Colin used those moments as opportunities to learn and grow. It was admirable, very admirable. Damian decided in that moment to try and follow his soulmate’s example going forward.

Father nodded. “Thank you. With that being said, you’re both grounded.”

Robin groaned quietly while Colin deflated. “For how long?”

“You are benched for three nights. If we hadn’t just talked about you going off on your own, I might have let it slide this time because there were extenuating circ*mstances. You need to have that lesson sink in, however it has to be done. No screen time for either of you, and both of you will be staying on manor grounds until Missy Warner’s interview next week. That will hopefully give us time to get our stories straight and get Colin used to answering questions.”

“Is that a good idea?” Colin asked. “Won’t you need Robin’s help?”

“Nightwing is coming back from Bludhaven, he can pick up the slack in the meantime.”

“Oh. I forgot Dick was coming back.”

“...you really didn’t tell him our identities?” Father raised an eyebrow at Robin.

“I didn’t have to. He’s just that good.” He sent a smirk Colin’s way, making him blush.

“It’s not that impressive.” Colin mumbled.

“No.” Father disagreed. He could be wrong, but Father seemed disquieted. “It is.”

—--

When the batplane started flying toward a cliff Colin felt worried. It went away a second later when the rocks on the cliff, or the doors hidden under the rocks, opened up into a cave and they flew inside. The doors closed behind them and the only light came from the controls in front of Batman for a while. After maybe a minute the plane slowed until it was just hovering in the air. Colin leaned forward in his seat, the X shaped seat belts holding him back. He could see lights, but not much else until the plane landed and Robin led him back down the ramp and outside.

There were lots and lots of rumors about where Batman lives. Some people in the early days thought he was some kind of monster, and monsters lived in caves in lots of the stories. Sooner or later they realized he was a man in costume with amazing fighting skills and really cool gadgets. Then they wondered if he had a lab, or a house, or something. Colin was willing to bet that none of them knew they were all kind of right.

The batplane was parked on a metal platform, and that was on top of a large, flat stone space. There were so many platforms, big enough for machines and displays of weird but cool things, all connected by metal bridges and staircases. It was like Mr. Wayne found the place and built around what was already there. Pointy rocks came down from the ceiling in lots of places, and when Colin stopped on one bridge and looked over the railing he saw a long way down, maybe higher than the cliff Damian showed him, more pointy rocks coming up and even a river way, way, way down.

Mr. Wayne stopped next to him, looking over with him, his big hand next to Colin’s on the railing. His hood mask was still down, and he gave Colon a soft, amused look when he met his eyes. Colin was just glad he wasn’t mad at him. “You can hear the waterfall if you listen hard enough at night, when everything is shut down. It’s very far in. I haven’t built that far, yet.”

Colin turned his ear in the direction Mr. Wayne pointed. For a few seconds they were all quiet, but he was right, the computers and other things were making a humming sound that drowned it out. “How long have you been exploring down here?”

“Since I was your age. Younger, even. I’ve gotten lost down here many times.” Colin wondered if he meant that more than one way, because when he looked off into the distance his eyes seemed sad.

Before they reached the biggest platform in the middle, Colin swore he saw something white fall down from the corner of his eye. He looked, but there wasn’t anything there. Until he looked up at the cave ceiling and froze in place down to his bones. There were hundreds, no, thousands of moving black bodies hanging upside down. Animal bodies. Bat bodies.

“Buh-buh-buh-buh–!” Colin stuttered, and struggled to take a breath in.

“Bats.” Mr. Wayne said, calmly. He set a hand on each of Colin’s shoulders, gentle as he rubbed them. Colin could tell he was trying to make him feel safe, maybe. “The Gotham Shadow Bat, to be precise.”

“Jet black in color, smaller than the Flying Fox but larger than any other North American species.” Damian, the animal expert, added. “Critically endangered, there are less than five hundred known to be alive. Technically there are those ones and the approximately two hundred and forty some ones who live here. Not that we can let anyone know that.”

“It’s a shame.” Mr. Wayne agreed. “At least the population’s been growing.”

Colin focused on breathing. A breath in, a breath out. His mouth turned into a tiny “o” shape. He tried to pay attention to what they both were saying. Even if he was scared of them, he did feel bad that the bats were endangered. In school they learned that being critically endangered was just above being extinct in the wild, like the northern white rhino, or just extinct, like the wooly mammoth. When he found out about how extinction happened it made him really sad, and he remembered how he wanted to beat up the poachers going after elephants and other animals. There used to be bat hunts that happened in Gotham until forty or something years ago when they made it against the law. That must have had to happen to protect the bats. It just wasn’t fair.

“So…so it’s safe?”

Damian looked at him, and Colin saw he looked unimpressed. “They’re insectivores, Colin. They eat bugs and occasionally fruit. Not people.” Okay, the sarcasm was new.

“Well, I didn’t know…” he whined.

Mr. Wayne patted his shoulders before letting go. “Don’t hold it against him. He didn’t grow up in Gotham. I heard the urban legends about them flying in windows at night and biting people in their sleep, too.”

“Thank you!” Colin said, glad somebody understood.

Damian turned around and kept walking. They followed after him, hearing him mumble. “Superstitious nonsense.”

“You didn’t have a bat fly in your room when you were a kid, bud. It leaves an impression on you.”

Colin looked back at him. “Are you saying you’re afraid of them, too?”

He shrugged. “I know they’re harmless, but you don’t forget the feeling of fear. Even if it doesn’t make sense.”

“Is that why you picked a bat?” They were almost at the biggest part of the cave, where the giant computer screen with the bat symbol on it was. This one wasn’t held up by metal poles or bolted to the walls like the others, instead it was on a large, flat, rocky shelf. Colin pointed at the symbol.

“When I first started I thought scaring criminals off the street was a good way to stop crime in Gotham.”

“I mean…didn’t that work?”

“For a while. Until they stopped being afraid. Or the reasons they started in the first place still needed fixing. I can’t hold it against them if they steal in order to have money to eat. Or if they aren’t well enough to understand that what they’re doing is hurting others. That’s why the work I do as Bruce Wayne is still invaluable.

“And some,” he sighed, “some are just greedy with no conscience to speak of.”

Colin had looked around at the main area with the big table for maybe a second when he realized that one of the many machine noises he could hear was an elevator. He realized that because it was one of those open kinds that you can see inside, and inside of it was Alfred. The older man quickly opened it and stepped out to meet them. “Master Bruce. Master Damian.” He stopped in front of Colin. “Master Colin. Thank goodness you’re alright. When I discovered that the two of you were separate from each other I feared the worst.”

Alfred was always so put together. When Colin first met him he was wearing a long coat even though it was summer. When he served dinner that first night he had on a suit and white gloves. The next morning while making breakfast he still wore a vest and tie under his apron, but his gloves were off and his shirt sleeves were neatly rolled up. When Colin asked about his going out hat Alfred told him it was what smartly dressed men used to wear, but smart was supposed to be another way of saying cool. Alfred was “hip”, as old Mr. Reinfeld used to say.

But now when he rushed in, his jacket, vest, and tie were gone. His sleeves were pushed up to his elbows, the top button of his shirt was open, and Colin could for the first time see he was wearing suspenders. It was almost like…like he hurried to get here in case he was needed.

The butler looked the others over quickly before doing the same to Colin. “Are you hurt, young sir?”

It suddenly clicked for Colin. Mr. Wayne asked Alfred to check Colin’s wrist. Alfred was able to tell he didn’t have any broken bones or sprains. Alfred knew about the cave. If he put those things together…does that mean that Alfred is the one who takes care of them when they get hurt helping people? Is Alfred like a doctor for them? Is that why when they made dinner together the day Damian was at W.E. he said that he trusted Colin with a knife, but if any accidents happened he could patch Colin up, no trouble at all?

Before Alfred could ask again Colin hugged him, his arms around his waist, his face pushed into his white shirt. He did it before he really thought about doing it, and he felt when Alfred slowly rested a hand on his shoulder. He liked Alfred a lot, because he was like the grandpa Colin always hoped he’d have someday; nice, patient, full of good advice, and he snuck them treats. Like the other night when he brought him and Damian a few extra cookies after dinner, only giving them a quick wink when Mr. Wayne wasn’t looking. Alfred did all of those things and patched them up if they got hurt. Batman has got shot before, it was all over the forums, and no one knew if he was going to be okay until someone saw him out on the streets again. Alfred had to take a bullet out of the man he took care of since he was a little kid.

Colin lifted his face, his voice shaky. “I’m sorry I worried you, Alfred…”

Alfred wasn’t the most expressive person. Even when he was upset at Tim and Damian that first night, he didn’t yell. If his eyebrows weren’t pointed down just that little bit, Colin never would’ve guessed that calm voice was holding anything back. And now, when Alfred’s mustache lifted at the corners just the tiniest bit, he still couldn’t quite tell what was making Alfred smile. For someone like Colin, who used other people’s faces to tell if he was doing something wrong, Alfred was a mystery. Colin likes mysteries.

The hand that pushed back his hair was thinner than Mr. Wayne’s, but just as strong and gentle. “As long as you’re safe then I need no apologies. But if you’re hurt, then I’ll happily tend to it.”

“Well…” For the first time since the last time he ended up in the hospital, Colin felt comfortable showing someone where he was hurt. “They put duck tape here.” He pulled out of the hug to show his wrists. Damian had cut it before, but what was left stuck to his sleeves and part of his wrist. He would’ve pulled it off, but he figured if his skin got red from bandaids then tape would be worse. “I scraped my knee, and one guy dropped me on my back on the floor. It still kind of hurts…”

“Let’s go to the med bay. Just here.” He turned Colin toward a big open room cut into the stone wall behind the main area. “I have everything we need to have you right as rain again.”

So that was where Colin was sitting while the others talked for a bit by the computer after Alfred was done helping him. He’d hopped up on the plastic table that Alfred lowered by pushing something with his foot and then slowly lifted back up, and now his legs were hanging off the side a foot up from the floor. The duct tape was gone, his shirt was off, his knee was bandaged, and Alfred had strapped some kind of black thing around his ribs that held a heat pack against his back. He didn’t realize the cave was a little chilly until he was being warmed up.

Colin could see the lockers from there. He watched Damian walk over to them after leaving Mr. Wayne at the computer. He took off his mask and hung up his cape. Next came the green elbow high gloves and his belt, he put those down on the bench in the middle of the space. He sat down and put his foot up on the seat so he could untie his boot laces. The red Robin vest had a high neck. For some reason Colin kept thinking about that. And…something he’d thought but not thought about…was how handsome the Robin suit made his soulmate look.

When his boots were both off Damian looked up at him, like he knew Colin had been watching the whole time somehow. Maybe because of his training. He lifted his hand from his knee in a kind of wave and gave him one of those little Damian smiles.

Colin blushed, and mouthed, “Hey.”

Damian mouthed back, “Beloved.”

‘My soulmate is Robin, my soulmate is Robin, my soulmate is Robin!’ he thought over and over again.

At least, he did until he heard a motorcycle. Colin could just see the tunnel it came in from, flashing black and bright blue as it stopped on the next biggest platform a few stone stairs down. The rider threw off his helmet and ran not to the stairs but the railing, pulling himself up and jumping over it as smoothly as someone who knows gymnastics. As soon as Nightwing was back on his feet he started moving toward Mr. Wayne and Alfred at the computer. “I got here as quick as I could! Did you find them?!”

Mr. Wayne, without looking away from the screen, pointed in Colin’s direction. When Nightwing saw him he let out a loud, “Phew!” and sagged against Mr. Wayne’s chair with his whole body. “Oh my god you have no idea how freaked out I was the whole way here! I got your alert and just drove and drove and drove and drove. Got a good reminder of why we only go out at night, the traffic was awful! Thankfully Babs let me know you were coming back here so I changed directions. You should’ve seen the turns I made, would’ve given you a stroke, Al.”

Okay that answers that. The way he talked, the way he moved, and the smile? There was no way on earth that Nightwing wasn’t Dick Grayson.

“I got adopted by a family of superheroes.” Colin said as he squished his face between his hands to make sure he wasn’t dreaming.

Chapter 16

Chapter Text

“You figured out who we were that easy?” Grayson asked. He was sitting with them on Colin’s bed. Or rather he was lounging on his side, head in one hand, a handful of cards in the other resting against his chest. They’d finished dinner an hour ago.

“You guys keep saying that. Is it really such a big deal?” Colin was sitting cross legged with Rory on his lap, holding his cards in front of the bear and unknowingly too revealed in a house full of vigilantes. Damian could see he was holding a wild card and so quickly set a skip card down on the pile in the middle, effectively making it Grayson’s turn. His soulmate pouted, but he needed to learn.

“It isn’t not a big deal. To be honest it’s probably freaking B out a little.” Grayson set down another card.

Colin looked worried so Damian clarified, “Father values our safety, and if there’s a possibility that he’s been lacking with security he tends to do a thorough check to make sure our secret can’t possibly get out. He won’t find anything, because despite your modesty it is impressive. You’re observant, clever, with good intuition–”

“Dami and Coli, sittin’ in a tree–” Before Grayson could finish Damian whipped a card at him. He blocked it and set it on the pile, thankfully it was one that could be played. Colin looked grateful for the interruption, and that was the only reason he didn’t further his assault of the imbecile.

“How did you find out, Dick?” Colin asked after taking his turn and changing it to red.

“I snuck around in Bruce’s office and found the way into the cave. It wasn’t long after I moved in. He learned from what I was able to figure out and upped the security over the years. If you can believe it, he used to have a bust that had a button hidden in the neck that opened a hidden door in the bookshelf. The elevator’s there now, and the bust is gone, but I still kinda miss the fireman pole.”

“Wait, what?!” Colin looked amused despite his disbelief.

“Oh yeah.” Grayson nodded. “It was a quick way to get down there if there was an emergency, so it wasn’t a terrible idea. He only took it out because of the…incident.”

“What incident?” Colin leaned forward, all ears. Damian could imagine that anything and everything related to their vigilante work was endlessly fascinating to his fanboy soulmate.

“Well…” Grayson didn’t meet Colin’s eyes.

Damian could feel one of his rambling sessions coming on so he cut him off. “He got friction burn on his thighs. He couldn’t walk right for a day. Father took them out after that.”

“What?!” Damian winced at how high pitched Colin’s voice became. “On your thighs?”

“Gee thanks.” Grayson shot Damian a look, his voice sarcastic.

“You’re welcome.” he answered, unrepentant.

“How?” Colin asked, voice returning to normal pitch.

“Grayson used to wear short pants with his Robin suit.”

“You know, I can answer questions myself.”

“Then do so.” He swatted away Grayson’s hand before he could pinch his cheek, not looking up from his cards.

“Yeah, starting with why? Why shorts?” Damian appreciated the judgemental look being sent toward his former mentor.

“The original Robin suit was based off my Flying Grayson outfit. I used to be an acrobat. Shorts give better leg mobility, and I still think it’s dumb that the standard changed because people felt all prudish about it.”

“You could stand to be more prudish, Grayson. Uno.” Damian set down a reverse card and held the other one down against the bedcovers. He wasn’t going to let Grayson get the drop on him.

“You’ll never change me, kiddo. The day I feel shame about my body is the day the world ends.” He put down a normal card. “Anyway I had it coming. That’s what I get for going back upstairs in my suit, which Bruce was not happy about. Now all Robin’s must wear pants.”

Colin giggled. “I’ll add that to the list of things I never thought I’d hear.”

Grayson rolled over onto his back, almost squishing Alfred before the feline jumped off the bed with a meow of protest. He kicked his legs up hard enough to make him roll backwards until he was on his knees. It made the bed bounce and caused Colin to fall on his side on the mattress. Damian, used to this sort of thing, simply shifted sideways to give him more room. He was fond of Grayson, but the man couldn’t sit in one place for long without adjusting his posture every five minutes.

“What about you, Colin?” Grayson asked, moving to sit cross legged. “I saw your clippings up on the wall at St. Aden’s. What got you so interested in us and what we do?”

After sitting up, Colin had a little sad smile on his face. “Well I guess I can thank old George for that, cause one of my earliest memories was him showing me an article about Batman. He was always reading the paper to keep up with what you guys did. He supported superheroes for years, even before they were technically legal. He was a really nice man who volunteered to help clean up and keep the lawn looking nice, before he died last year. His soulmate died a while before I met him. They were together sixty years, but they couldn’t have kids. I heard she used to bake for the St. Aden’s kids, even though nobody liked it.”

“Why not?” Damian asked, forgetting the card game for the moment.

“People used to really hate orphans, Dames.”

“That’s preposterous!” Even as he said it he recalled the night before the fundraiser, when Father had asked him if he didn’t like orphans. The truth was that Damian had never thought about it much, most likely because Mother influenced him for so long not to waste time thinking of things “beneath” him. Yet what could children who had been dealt an unfortunate hand possibly do to garner hatred?

“It’s true.” Grayson nodded. “I remember how tough it was when my parents died. They were my only blood family, and even though the circus would’ve taken me in they weren’t allowed to, especially because money was tight. It was a good life, and we made decent money, but only enough to take us from place to place. Since they died in Gotham, I was going to be sent to wherever Child Protective Services wanted to send me. If Bruce hadn’t taken me in, I would’ve gone to an orphanage too, probably.

“That doesn’t mean it’s fair, what people used to think. The idea was that a kid without family willing to take them meant they were born out of bond or from a bad match. And there used to be a superstition that kids born out of bond were bad luck.” Grayson scoffed. “I’ve seen magic, I’ve talked to magician’s, and there’s no truth to those old stories. They were just used as an excuse so people could turn their back on them and not feel bad about it.”

“...I was born out of bond.” Damian said. He admitted it so easily, though knowing now the stigmas against people like him, he knew he wouldn’t be saying it publicly anytime soon. If he weren’t in the presence of his former mentor and soulmate he most likely would’ve held his tongue.

“You are?” Colin was quietly surprised. “But…I figured with your dad and your mom…”

“Bruce has kept his soulmate a secret for a long time.” Grayson explained, “He left Gotham after high school and traveled so he could train in martial arts. When he first came back most of his public appearances were during the day, so he got away with wearing sunglasses all the time. He had fake rumors spread about him partying all the time at night, which unfortunately meant a lot of people claimed he’d been with them, making the press think he was a playboy for years. Until yours truly came along and started changing his image to more of a family guy.” Grayson smiled. “I think with me around Bruce felt like he could reveal that his eyes changed. All he had to say was that his soulmate was a very shy person and most people just accepted that. Sure, there are a lot of rumors. Some say he’s keeping them hostage in the manor somewhere, some say that they’re ashamed to be Bruce’s soulmate, and some say he’s been faking it all this time. Doesn’t stop the tabloids from accusing someone of being his soulmate every week, though.”

“Huh.” Colin rested his chin on Rory’s head for a moment, his eyes downward in thought. He played a card on his turn, and after that his head lifted again. “So wait, who is his soulmate?”

Damian met Grayson’s eyes. Then they both turned back to the red head and shrugged in tandem.

“Wait. Wait. Are you saying you don’t know?” Colin looked gobsmacked.

“If you don’t see someone’s eyes change, there’s not really any way to tell.” Grayson shrugged again. “Does it matter who it is?”

“I mean…I guess not?” Colin tilted his head to the side. “I knew his soulmate was a secret, but I thought I’d meet them sometime.”

“I have my suspicions.” admitted Grayson, smirking. “There’s actually a family bet going. What we can best guess is that it’s someone like us, and personally I think it’s a member of the Justice League. My money’s on Superman.”

“Haven’t you ever just, you know, asked him?”

“Many times.” Damian had to make peace with learning it wasn’t his mother, and perhaps it was from some lingering spite, but at this point he found he didn’t care to know. Most likely once he found out who they were he would never look at them the same way again. “Father is a very private person. Even when he spends time with us he tends not to open up. He’s told me that he likes his independence, that his soulmate understands that. Supposedly it is why their relationship is able to work. I can’t understand his decision.” He offered his hand to Colin, happy once he was holding his. “Even if circ*mstances had been different for us, I would never want to hide you.”

“Dames…” Colin looked touched, and he sweetly smiled at him.

“Also,” he put down his last card, “I win.”

Grayson groaned and Colin pulled his hand away with a look of mock betrayal that made Damian smirk.

“Dames.”

“I did tell you to hide your cards better.”

“You shouldn’t peek!” Colin whined, sticking his tongue out. “That’s the third time in a row!”

Grayson had played poorly the first round in an attempt to let Colin win and cheer him up. Colin had still felt bad for upsetting Father and Pennyworth, so Damian understood his motives. However, that didn’t change the fact that Damian felt no such inclination. After the first round Grayson tried to win, truly, but still failed.

“When I play, it’s to win.”

“Well next time, I’m gonna win.” Seeing the same competitiveness in his soulmate’s eyes that Damian himself had was exciting. He’d wanted a worthy gaming opponent for a while now, it was just a matter of helping him perfect his technique.

There was a knock at Colin’s door. Father opened it and stepped inside. “How are things going in here?”

“I’m getting my butt kicked at Uno, that’s how it’s going.” Grayson ruffled both Damian and Colin’s hair before standing. “I’ll see you two in the morning. I gotta gear up for tonight.”

“Be careful.” Colin said as he picked up the cards to put them away.

“Always am.” Grayson gave them a thumb up, and walked out of the room.

Father stood at the end of Colin’s bed. “Colin, can I talk to you about something?”

Damian watched Colin become tense.

—--

Colin got tense. “Sure.” he said slowly.

He couldn’t imagine what Mr. Wayne wanted to talk to him about. They were already grounded for going off on their own. They did something wrong and they got punished. Unless Colin was in trouble for something else? But he couldn’t be. Everyone was impressed because he figured out their secret identities all by himself, but maybe Mr. Wayne thought he cheated?

“You aren’t in trouble, Colin.”

“Then how come I feel like I am?” He asked, looking at the card box in his hand and not at Mr. Wayne.

“If I were to guess, maybe you still feel bad for what happened today?” Mr. Wayne walked around the bed and sat next to Colin. “I don’t blame you for the kidnapping. That was out of your control. Leaving St. Aden’s without telling anyone was wrong, but you both are sorry for that, and you’ve been punished. It’s settled. I don’t hold grudges if you kids get punished, and I hope you won’t hold it against me when I have to discipline you.”

Of course Colin wouldn’t hold it against him. It wasn’t just because he was Damian’s dad, either. Even if he was Batman, and Batman, even though he was a good guy, was scary, Mr. Wayne was always fair with him, and kind, too. “Deal.”

Mr. Wayne shook Colin’s hand. “Deal.” He turned to Damian, who’d been watching them the whole time. “I think Titus needs to go out for his night time walk, don’t you?”

Titus jumped up from where he’d been laying on the floor. The dog whined softly, coming over to push his nose against Damian’s arm. When that didn’t work he gently grabbed the edge of Damian’s shirt with his mouth and pulled.

Damian rolled his eyes. “You could have simply said that you wished to speak to Colin alone. Using the W word in front of him is underhanded.”

“It worked.” Mr. Wayne patted his shoulder after he stood up. “Don’t worry, Colin can tell you all about it when you get back.”

“Tt.” Damian looked back from over his shoulder before walking out the door.

“Close it behind you.”

After the door closed, Colin put on a playful smile. “Now I really hope I’m not in trouble.”

Mr. Wayne returned the smile, but his eyes were serious. “I wanted to talk about things that are more personal to you. This way reduces who might overhear us.”

Colin picked up Rory and started rubbing his ear between his fingers. “What kinds of things?”

He thought for a second. “Do you remember the party, when Sister Agnes told you that she and I had been talking about you?” Colin nodded. “The reason we were, was because I asked if any of you kids needed special help, like medicine or something similar. That was when she let me know how she would have liked to have you regularly see a counselor, like you did at school.”

“Oh…” Colin wasn’t sure what to say.

“Did you like seeing your counselor?”

Colin shrugged. “She was nice. I…I used to be really angry all the time. My teachers made me see her because…because…” He didn’t want to say why. “...do you know everything about me already?”

Mr. Wayne’s voice was gentle. “I looked up your casefile and your school records after you and Damian found each other. So yes, I know some things about what you’ve gone through.”

Colin hugged Rory really tight against his chest. “Then you know how bad I used to be…”

Mr. Wayne moved closer. He put his hand out like he was going to maybe hug him or something, but then set it down near Colin instead. “You were never bad, Colin. You were hurting, and that made you act out, but you are not a bad person.”

“B-But I got detention, and I got suspended–!”

“So did I.” he interrupted.

Colin’s eyes widened. All the dark thoughts tumbling around in his head came to a sudden stop. “You...you got suspended from school?”

“More than once.” Mr. Wayne admitted. He looked off into space as he explained. “The first time it happened was because I beat up my best friend.”

“Your best friend…” he could barely whisper the words.

“It wasn’t his fault. We were eight. When my parents were killed,” he paused to sigh, “it was all over the news. After a month or so Alfred told me that I had to go back to school. I didn’t want to, but then I didn’t want to do much of anything. On the one hand the other kids were very kind, and they told me how sorry they were about what happened. For a while they were understanding, and let me have my space. On the other hand, after a while they thought I would be okay again. I wasn’t, but I don’t blame them now for not understanding why the jokes that used to make me laugh weren’t funny anymore, or why I didn’t want to play the games I used to love. It was hard for my friend Tommy, because our friendship helped him deal with a lot of his own issues at home.

“So one day at recess he started to yell at me. I don’t remember most of what he said, or what I said back. I just know that when he said something about my mom and dad…I snapped. I jumped on him and just started whaling on him. He used to be the brains, while I was the brawn. We were a great team…” Mr. Wayne laughed sadly. “The teachers pulled me off eventually, but not before I hit him hard enough to leave a scar. Right here.” He rubbed the outer corner under his right eye. “He doesn’t have it anymore, but he did for a long time.”

“You only got suspended for that?” When Colin got suspended it was because he pushed another kid hard enough into a wall that he bumped his head. The other kid was okay, he didn’t even need to see a doctor, but he could’ve been really hurt. The principal told him that Colin could have put him in the hospital, or he could have died, and that was why he had to be suspended. It stuck with Colin. From then on he became more of a loner, sticking to himself. He couldn’t imagine not getting in worse trouble if he did what Mr. Wayne did.

“His mother wanted me to be expelled. Alfred defended me, saying that I wouldn’t have done it if I hadn’t been provoked. I wish he hadn’t. Maybe if I faced more consequences I would have gotten the help I had needed back then. Not that I want you to think badly of Alfred! He did what he thought was best, and he was raised to deal with his emotions on his own, without burdening others with his problems. If he acted out it was his responsibility to learn to control himself. He thinks differently about these things now, and I do too.” He gently held Colin’s hand. “That’s why I was thinking that group counseling might be a good thing for you to try. I know you have problems trusting adults, so maybe being with other kids with situations like yours will make you feel more comfortable?”

“I don’t know.” Colin admitted. “If you think it’ll help, I’ll do it. I just don’t know if it’ll do any good.”

“It’s worth a try, right? Sometimes I think about the criminals I fight, about how they were kids like you and me once. If they’d gotten the support they needed, the help, maybe they wouldn’t have felt like they needed to resort to crime. Some of them, like Mr. Freeze, are actually doing much better, now that they have therapists to talk to.”

“Really?” Colin thought for a while. “Well…I guess if it’ll stop me from turning into a supervillain, it can’t be that bad.”

That actually made Mr. Wayne laugh. It came out all of a sudden, loud and deep, and it made his eyes squeeze shut. It reminded him of Damian, though his soulmate’s laughter was softer, like he was trying not to be heard by anyone.

A big, warm hand ruffled his hair. “You’re a funny kid.” Colin couldn’t help laughing a little, too. “So is that a yes?”

“Yeah.” Colin agreed. “I’ll try it.” He didn’t know what to expect, but Mr. Wayne wouldn’t ask him to do something that would hurt him. He was sure of it.

“I’m glad. We can tell Mark about it when he visits on Monday.”

“Mark? My social worker Mark?” That’s right, the last time he saw Mark was a couple weeks ago. He visits Colin and takes him out for lunch to ask how he’s doing. When Colin’s not with fosters it happened less often.

“I just got off the phone with him. He’s really excited to see you.”

“Me too, I missed him.” He really meant it.

Mark was maybe Dick’s age, and Colin was one of the first kids he got assigned to. After Colin’s last social worker, who got in a lot of trouble for not helping Colin when he was being hurt, Mark had to try extra hard to get Colin to open up to him. But he was always patient, and kind. He ordered the kids meal for both of them when they went to Bat Burger and gave Colin his toy. That helped a lot with getting Colin to like him. Plus he actually listened, and cared. Sometimes another kid he helped would have something bad happen to them, and Colin could see how Mark was thinking about it even if it was days later. He didn’t tell Mark everything, but he felt like Mark was one of the few adults who had his back.

Colin couldn’t wait to introduce him to Damian. He was sure they’d like each other.

—--

The guy who wore the black bandana around his face when Colin was kidnapped was called Trey. He was five foot nine, twenty years old, with light brown skin and dark brown hair. Black eyes, no soulmate to speak of. He was officially arrested for possession with intent to sell, because the warehouse he and his cohorts were staying in had been storing seven tons of laced heroin. He was one of the lower higher ups in a gang run by the Marcona Cousins, a dying out crime family in Gotham. He went missing after his bail had been posted, and was never seen again.

As the rumors go, he got in a car with some guys who weren’t from his gang. They drove from the police station into Tricorner, the very tip of the island at the end. There was a building there, boarded up and looking abandoned. But the men who picked Trey up led him inside to meet their boss. Now Trey had no idea what they wanted to talk to him about. He was only told that the guy who posted the bounty for Colin wanted to talk to him. Trey didn’t know how they even found out where he was, and honestly it kind of freaked him out a little.

They took him to a big room with a table in the middle and a single chair and left him there to wait. He sat down and waited, with nothing to do. An hour or so passed by, and Trey got up to try and leave. The men guarding the door had guns and told him to sit back down. So he did. It was only after midnight that the boss managed to show up.

Now Trey was pissed, and he was ready to scream at the guy for keeping him here. He was stupid enough to think that who he worked for might hold enough sway for them to get off his back and never bother him again. But as soon as he saw who walked through the door, he lost all his bravado and sank deeper into the rickety wooden chair he was sitting on.

“You…”

It’s a very different vibe between the common thugs of Gotham and the Rogue Gallery. Thugs were a dime a dozen. Any teen dropout in Gotham could be a thug, or the mothers and fathers getting paid just barely minimum wage who needed to feed their kids could be thugs. A lot of those thugs worked for bigger bosses, gang runners like Falcone. But some were dumb enough to work for people like Penguin, Two Face, or if they were really desperate the Joker. People like them had very little to lose, if they were willing to work with someone who held their lives on a razor blade edge every single night, and thought they were expendable enough to put them on the front lines for the Bat Clan to fight. Being around the so-called freaks like Black Mask, Riddler, or Bane was like being watched by a predator who was using you to lure out a bigger, juicier piece of prey.

A lot of things were said in that room. Mostly it was a ton of monologuing on the part of the boss. He talked about what Colin meant to him, why Trey screwing up and letting him be rescued was a mistake, and why he’d been watching a nobody orphan in the first place. But it was what he said he was going to do to Colin Wilkes as soon as he could get him away from the Waynes, that turned Trey’s stomach and made him pity the kid he’d been willing to give to this psycho to make a quick buck.

Trey stood up from his seat. Whether he was going to run or attack the boss, no one knows. He was quickly caught by the bosses henchmen and thrown down onto the table. He kicked and yelled, but there was no one around for miles. Another henchman brought over a big gas tank. The only label on it was some sort of scary symbol that Trey didn’t recognize. They attached a gas mask to it and held Trey’s head down so they could strap it over his mouth and nose. Slowly, ever so slowly the fight went out of him, and his pupils dilated more and more until they were nothing but pinpricks. Not that anyone could tell the difference between the black of his irises and the black hole of the pupil.

The boss had opened up a case another henchman was holding and pulled out a bottle that he pushed a syringe into. When it was full he lifted it, not even bothering to tap it to make sure the air bubbles were gone. “Since you delayed me, I’ll use you as my temporary test subject. Let’s see what this formula does to you.”

The creepy, demented cackling of the boss echoed in the room. Before it was drowned out by screams.

Chapter 17

Chapter Text

Damian closed The Darkest Hour, setting the book down on his chest. He laid like that on Colin’s bed for a minute before Colin noticed. His soulmate scooted closer, until he was looking down at Damian’s face, his red hair hanging like a curtain around his eager smile. “So…?”

“I’m speechless.” Truly he was. He had not expected the first series of the books Colin adored so much to end like that.

“In a good way?” Colin asked.

“Yes, Beloved. In a good way.” He offered Colin a small smile. “Now I understand why you like these books.”

Colin grinned. “What did you think about the last fight? I thought I was gonna lose my mind when I first read it.”

“Indeed. The drama, the sacrifices, the justice.” Damian let out a contented sigh. “The violence. It’s very much my cup of tea.”

“I bet.” Colin poked his cheek lightly. “That’s such a you answer.”

Damian took his hand and pressed Colin’s palm against his face, leaning into it. His eyes slid closed. “What do you think of The Secret Garden?”

There was a moment of quiet. He heard the sound of a book closing, and knew it was his copy of the aforementioned book, a gift from Todd, that he had lent to his soulmate. He felt the bed shift as Colin laid down on his stomach near him, and when his chin lightly rested on his forehead, Colin’s warm breath ghosted across his skin. “It’s really good…” Colin said softly, almost distractedly. Damian could picture the blush on his face without opening his eyes. “It reminds me of you.”

Damian chuckled. “Yes, the one who gave it to me said much the same thing.”

In truth Todd’s exact words were, “The main character’s a brat, and you’re a brat. It’s a match made in heaven.” Damian had scowled at him, and took the book with little show of thanks. It was only a week later, benched by Father for ignoring orders and becoming injured as a result, that he had actually read it. He saw right away what Todd meant. The main character, Mary, was like him in many ways. She was quick to anger, cruel with her words, self centered…and yet beneath all of that, painfully lonely and deeply hurt. Reading her story, watching how she made the most of her unfortunate circ*mstances, found a place she could nurture and call her own, made friends and became close to her distant family, and was welcomed with open and loving arms in the end…it touched him very deeply. Almost to the point of tears.

Later, on a rooftop after his punishment was over, he happened upon Todd wrapping up a case. They’d watched the GCPD take the criminals away from a distance, and when Todd began to move as if to leave, Damian blurted out, “I liked the book.” It wasn’t as eloquent as he had hoped to be, and didn’t cover how exposed it made him feel, that Todd would recommend a story that felt so similar to his own.

Todd didn’t respond for a moment, but his helmet was off, leaving the domino and a smirk exposed on his face when he turned back. He pulled the hood of Damian’s cape over his head and face, and said teasingly, yet affectionately, “Glad to hear it.” Since that moment Damian made the effort to look more deeply at the former Robin’s actions toward the family, even when the man said things to get under his skin and rile him up.

“I gotta tell you,” Colin said after a few minutes, “that lots of people think the rest of the series isn’t as good as the first.”

“Isn’t that always the case.” Damian reluctantly sat up. “I’ll read them regardless, after all we have more than enough time.”

“Dames at most we have until Thursday. That’s when our grounding will be over.” Father had asked Colin if he wanted to have it known that he was shy and wouldn’t be in the public eye very often. When Colin agreed he’d had Missy Warner set up a private interview for Thursday afternoon, the recording of which will be played Friday morning. Damian was grateful for it, because after the kidnapping he was wary of Colin being around strangers.

“I wish we didn’t have to do that interview.” Damian huffed.

“I know.” Colin scooted up behind him, resting his chin on Damian’s shoulder. “But it won’t take long. And after that we get to go to Shannon’s house and hang out there for a while.”

“Are you looking forward to seeing your friend?”

“Well…I still gotta ask her about the eye thing. Look at this.” Colin moved away to pull out his phone, handing it to him after opening up a social media profile. “All the pictures they have of her have her eyes black.”

Damian scrolled through Missy Warner’s social media feed, seeing that what Colin said was true. Colin had gotten the hang of looking things up online very quickly, and used it well. Damian had gotten to hear all about what the hero forums were saying about them, and now it seemed he was using it to keep track of his friend’s new family.

“Do you think it’s contacts?” Colin asked.

“If the pictures are being edited it’s good work. There’s consistency. Some of these don’t look posed, which leads me to believe it isn’t contacts. Unless they ask her to wear them at all times.”

Colin sighed. “See that’s what I want to know. I’m gonna give Shannon my phone number, and I hope if she needs help she’ll tell me. Your dad can get her out of there if he has to, right?” The concern on his face was saddening.

“Yes of course. I could also help her get away from them if the need be.” He took Colin’s hand. “Try not to fret. Shannon could be just fine, and you’ll worry for nothing.”

“I know…” Colin flopped down on his stomach, the bed bouncing a bit. “The Sisters say I’m a worrywart. I can’t help it.”

Damian reached under Colin, poking him and making him giggle. He did it to distract his soulmate, and it worked. Colin cried out a playful, “Hey!” and started poking him back. Damian wasn’t ticklish, but he still evaded Colin’s attacks on principle. That just made the red head try harder, and somehow they ended up wrestling each other. Damian would give Colin enough advantage for him to nearly pin him down, but he would flip them at the last moment. Colin laughed all the while, and Damian couldn’t keep the grin off of his face, either.

“Wow. Should I be freaked out that I want to tell you two to get a room?”

Damian froze the second he heard Drake speak. The teenager stood just outside the doorway, looking at them. His posture was stiff, and his hands were neither loose nor clenched at his sides. Colin had stopped too, pausing unfortunately while straddling Damian’s waist, Damian and he grasping his hands in order to prevent the other from trying to continue their tickle fight. Without realizing it until it was already done, Damian pushed Colin off of him and onto the mattress, quickly sitting up. Perhaps he was embarrassed to be caught like that, and would be if it was anyone else besides Drake who’d stumbled upon them. Yet it was Drake implying that they were up to something lewd that made it worse.

Colin sat up as well, kneeling and frowning at Drake. “We were just playing.” Damian tried to not to think too much about how disappointed his soulmate sounded.

“Demons don’t play nice.” Drake glanced in his direction as he said that, and Damian bit his tongue. He could have easily fired back any of the insults in his usual arsenal, but it seemed such a petty thing to do. If he wanted to be like Colin and be more humble he would have to let things go. Cassandra and Father had both suggested he do so recently as well, and he didn’t want to backslide into old habits and let them down so soon.

Yet it seemed that Colin felt no such obligation to hold his tongue. “Hey! Don’t call him that.” he snapped.

Drake raised an eyebrow, probably also mildly surprised at Colin’s sudden gall. “What, you think he’s some kind of angel?” He didn’t sound sarcastic as much as curious.

“First of all, save your attitude for someone who wants it.” As he spoke he held up one finger. At the next point he held up another. “Second, if all you’re gonna do is act like a jerk you can go away. We don’t want to talk to you right now.”

Damian wondered if his jaw dropped as far as Drake’s did. The teen spluttered a bit, clearly not expecting the usually meek redhead to call him out so bluntly.

“Well?” Colin set his hands on his hips and gave Drake a look that dared him to escalate the situation.

“You know what, I didn’t even want to be here anyway.” Drake threw up his hands. “Your social worker’s here, and Bruce asked me to tell you. There! Job done!” With that he turned on his heel and stalked away, muttering the name of a deity and the word “brats” as he went.

“You know something, I’m getting real sick and tired of him.” Colin said as they started on their way toward the font of the house. He had a look of mild annoyance on his face, but was otherwise calm.

“So I suppose your plan to make nice with Drake is no longer a priority?” Damian asked, mindful of how a comment from him had set Colin off on Saturday. He’d rather not push Colin in that direction again, though he found he didn’t truly know what would be the spark to start the initial flame, and it seemed like a fire that Colin was slow to burn out. It was disquieting to admit that to himself.

“I mean,” Colin huffed once, puffing his lips out, “I want that. But If I’m honest I wanted that for me. ‘Cause I didn’t want to be on your family’s bad side, and being friendly usually works. He’s been lying though, about being too busy to play a game with us. And I don’t really like Tim right now, not after that. He called you a demon. As if he knows what a real demon is like. I do.”

“You have past experience with the supernatural?” Damian was trying to add some levity to the situation.

It seemed to work, because one side of Colin’s mouth lifted. “No. I mean one of my fosters’ kids, my foster brother. He got way too happy when he rubbed in our faces that his parents used the money the government sent them for us on him. He was their real kid, so he got everything. Which is like, six kinds of illegal.”

“That’s favoritism. That’s neglect at the very least, if you had to do without. Or fraud.”

“Bingo.”

“Tt. The more I hear of these people the more I detest them.”

“Well remember, I had five different foster families.”

“Five.”

“In six years. Apparently that’s a record, or Mark says so anyway.”

Damian lifted a brow. “Mark, as in your social worker?”

“Yeah. He likes to be lighthearted about that kind of stuff. I don’t mind , when you live like that you need to laugh about it sometimes.” Colin stopped as a thought seemed to occur to him. “Wait. How did you know Mark was my social worker?”

“I listened in on your conversation with Father Saturday night.” he confessed. When Colin frowned Damian explained, “I was concerned. Father can be very stern. You haven’t been present to some of the lectures I’ve had to endure from him. He can be harsh, and I don’t believe you deserve to be subjected to that.”

Colin looked conflicted. “I mean that’s nice and all Dames, but you didn’t have to eavesdrop. I would’ve told you if you asked me.”

Damian wasn’t so sure. “You mean to say that I have to ask you directly in order for you to tell me things about you?”

“No…”

“You were free to tell me the last few days. You didn’t.”

“I-I know.” Colin took a breath and slowly let it out. “You’re right. I should’ve told you. I’m not even embarrassed to have a social worker, I don’t know why I didn’t.”

“To be clear, you’ll get no judgment from me about your past. But I would rather we not keep anything from one another.” Damian was quick to reassure, and took Colin’s hand in his.

“Yeah. You’re right.” Colin repeated. “No more secrets. I’ll tell you anything, Dames. So you don’t have to eavesdrop, okay?”

“It comes with the territory of being Robin’s soulmate.”

“I should’ve seen that coming.” Colin said as they continued down the hall toward the foyer. He thought he saw Colin frown again from the corner of his eye.

—--

Mark was his usual happy self when they found him in the front sitting room with Mr. Wayne and Alfred. He was drinking a glass of water when he wasn’t talking, and Colin saw that the water moved a lot inside the glass because Mark talked with his hands and they didn’t stay still much. He also saw that Mr. Wayne was smiling while talking, and it wasn’t his fake smile for the press. Colin saw that smile too many times while they were practicing for the interview with Missy, and he was starting to understand why Damian didn’t like it. It just wasn’t the same as his real one. So he must like Mark a lot to smile for real.

When the boys walked into the sitting room the grown ups stood up. Colin knew Mark was tall, but he wasn’t as tall as Mr. Wayne when they were standing next to each other and that was kind of surprising. “There they are.” Mr. Wayne nodded at them.

“Heya Boop, how ya been?” Mark called him Boop sometimes, it was a special nickname he gave him after he booped Colin’s nose one time and made him laugh for the first time since they’d met.

“I’m good. You good?” Colin didn’t realize he’d started to talk more like Damian and less like a kid from the Narrows until he heard Mark talk. Even the Sisters didn’t really talk like anyone in the Narrows, so visiting them didn’t make him remember. But honestly, he kinda missed it.

“I’m doin alright.” Mark came and knelt down by him. His warm hand came up and clapped him on the shoulder. “I was so siked when I heard the good news, congratulations little man. I called up and got a visit with ya as soon as I could.”

“Thanks Mark.” Colin felt his cheeks get warm as he pointed at Damian. “Th-This is my soulmate, Damian.” He stuttered because this was the first time he was telling someone who his soulmate was. Damian had done that for him a lot, and now it was his turn.

Damian held out his hand. “Damian Wayne.”

“Mark Myers. Put her there.” When Mark shook it he added in a few fancy moves that Damian got the hang of faster than Colin did. Damian didn’t seem to mind it, but still looked him up and down when it was over. Mark has dark brown skin, black curly hair that was shaved and faded on the sides but longer on top. He was wearing a suit jacket and collared shirt with no tie and a nice pair of jeans. He always dressed like that when working, and he told Colin once that he wanted to look professional but not too professional. Colin wondered what Damian was thinking.

“What exactly does a social worker do?” Damian asked, one eyebrow up.

“Damian.” Colin elbowed him. Damian didn’t say that with a lot of attitude, but he didn’t say it with no attitude.

“It’s alright, Colin. Fair question. Let’s sit and talk about it.” Mark pointed at the couches with his thumbs. The three of them sat on one one and Mr. Wayne and Alfred on the other. “The most important thing I do is be an advocate for kids like Colin. Most kids have families to be there and support them, and make sure they have all the things they need. Foster kids on the other hand get people like me who get to know them and help them out, and if I have to, I make sure they stay safe.” Mark pulled a laptop out of his brown leather backpack, opened it, and set it on his leg. “Home visits are a part of that, too. I’ll go up and see your room in a bit, but let’s get the usual questions out of the way. How are ya feelin right now?”

“Good. Really good.” Colin smiled at the others, remembering all the good things that had happened since he decided to live with the Waynes. He’d gotten his own room with a TV and his favorite books. Mr. Wayne, Alfred, Dick, and Cass had all been so welcoming and treated him like a member of the family even when they’d known him only a day or two. Alfred the cat was his pet as much as Damian’s because he spent so much time with Colin now, and Titus was a good dog and wanted to play with him whenever Damian was busy. The food Alfred made was so yummy that he had a second helping every time, and he got a bunch of brand new clothes that were new and clean and all his to keep. This was honestly the happiest Colin had ever been outside of St. Aden’s.

“Glad to hear it, Boop.” Mark made some notes, his fingers flying over the keyboard. “Do you feel safe here?”

“Very safe.” Who could be safer than the kid living at a superhero’s house? Colin saw the small way Mr. Wayne’s hand moved from the corner of his eye. It was the signal that reminded Colin to be careful what he said. He learned it yesterday, and was glad Mr. Wayne reminded him now. He wasn’t going to say anything, really, but it showed him how saying the wrong thing right then could’ve been bad.

“Great.” Mark made some more notes then looked up at Colin. “Do you like Mr. Wayne as a guardian? Do you think he does a good job taking care of you?”

Colin thought real hard about it. Since he’d been here he hadn’t been hit or yelled at once. He hasn’t been told he was trouble or in the way, and everytime he worried he was, someone was there to say he wasn’t and make him feel better. Colin felt like they wanted him to be here, and that they liked him. That even if he did something wrong one day, it wouldn’t be the end of the world. He’d never felt like that before. He wondered if this is what love feels like?

Shyly, Colin made sure to look Mr. Wayne in the eye. “Mr. Wayne’s the best guardian I’ve ever had. I’m really happy he wanted me to live here. I hope I can stay for a long time.”

Mr. Wayne’s soft smile reminded him of Damian again, and he was glad they had that in common. “You can stay as long as you like. We’re happy to have you here.”

When Colin looked at Mark, he saw how happy he was for him. He finished the note he was making, then blew up some air out of his mouth, making his hair move a little. It was what he did when he had to ask a hard question. “Has anything bad happened since you’ve been here?”

Okay, so it was really good they’d practiced before today. Colin knew he wasn’t going to say anything about the kidnapping, because the kidnappers were arrested for having drugs in their warehouse, so there wasn’t any point. But… “Well…there was the fight with Tim…”

Mr. Wayne gave a little nod, telling him it was okay that he brought it up. “My son Tim has been going through some personal issues. He and the boys had an argument over dinner one night.”

Before Mark could say anything Damian butted in. “Father, are you sure you should be saying that in front of a guest?”

“Mark signed an NDA.”

“Ah. Carry on then.” Damian sat back, looking fine all of a sudden.

“What’s an NDA?” Colin asked.

“It’s a non-disclosure agreement. It’s a fancy way of saying that I promise not to tell anyone anything I hear about the Wayne family.” Mark explained. “I mean I gotta know about what’s up with you so I can be a good social worker, but all the other stuff is private. You know how good I am with privacy.”

“MYOB. Mind your own business.” Colin said, repeating what Mark taught him years ago.

The grown ups chuckled. “You got it, little man.” Mark smiled at him and Damian. “Everything seems to be going great. It looks like you’re in good hands here, and that makes me really happy. You wanna show me your room now?”

“Yeah!” Colin hopped up. “Damian bought me lots of books!”

“Oh yeah?” Mark raised an eyebrow, grinning.

“Uh-huh. He’s been spoiling me since I got here.”

“Colin…” Damian mumbled, his cheeks getting red. Colin was glad he got to tease him, and show Mark he had a softer side to him. If things like this were going to be his new normal, Colin could really get used to it.

—--

Summers in Gotham were buttf*ckin hot, and not in the fun way. Especially when the AC decided to sh*t itself. Of course any other day of the year it was always just the wrong side of cold, or near freezing in winter. But since when were the elements ever kind to Jason Todd?

The former Robin was sitting on the patched up sofa in his apartment, shirtless, with his head slumped back between the two back cushions. He kept flicking open and closed the lid of the lighter in his hand. The metallic click as it snapped closed wasn’t followed by the sickly, smoky smell of a lit cigarette, which Jason was telling himself he was glad of.

He’d had smokes since he was thirteen, snuck into the manor with all the Robin skills Bruce had taught him, not realizing the irony in that until years later. He’d been terrified of Bruce, or worse Alfred, smelling it on him and finally belting him. They were too nice, too good to him, and he kept wondering what little act of rebellion would cross the line and make them hit him the way Willis used to. And as f*cked up as it was, he started the habit as a middle finger to his sperm donor. Because one of the rare times the bastard was civil to him was when he asked at the ripe age of six if he could smoke with his dad, and the answer he got was “When you’re old enough I’ll buy you your first pack.” Before he up and hauled ass out of there and left him with Catherine.

Jason scoffed softly to the empty room. He didn’t have the patience to think about his stepmother today. Was he still a little resentful of how she went and ODed on him and left him to fend for himself? Yeah. Did he still think about how she’d cried when she sold his roller skates for money and then cried harder when he told her wasn’t mad at her? All the time. That was the mixed bag you carried inside of you when you loved a junkie. Every moment they act like a normal human being makes you forget every moment they don’t. Then vice versa, rinse and repeat.

Closing the lighter and tossing it onto the coffee table next to his leg made a noise loud enough to startle someone. If Jason wasn’t there alone that is. His stupid knee was still a bit sore from his little rescue mission the other day. Only enough to annoy him, not enough for him to have f*cked it back up. He still hated to listen to Bruce, but he wasn’t going back out on the streets until his leg was one hundred percent. Even if that meant letting Roy go out on jobs so they could keep the power going and fix that goddamn AC.

Going back to the Robin training, how the hell did someone manage to sneak through his window? He only just heard the person’s two feet landing on the floor, and that was because it was otherwise dead silent. Keeping mostly still he let his right hand slowly drift between the cushions and played at being asleep. With his head between the cushions he kept his eyelids only just open, and that’s how he saw a dark object hover over his chest.

It tapped him on the sternum and that’s when he pounced. His free hand shot out and grabbed it, dragging it and the person holding it closer to him as he sat up. The other hand pulled out the handgun he hid inside the couch and shoved the muzzle into the throat of Tim f*cking Drake. Jason kept his face neutral as he stared the teen down. He had to ignore the feeling of ice in his stomach as he realized that Tim showed no sign of fear or surprise at the situation he was in. If it was some kind of brave face his replacement was putting on it would be a different story. This almost blank stare from pitch black eyes was unnerving the hell out of him.

“Are you trying to get yourself shot?!” Jason let the concern he pretended he didn’t have for the kid come out as anger. He didn’t move the gun yet on principle.

“I was checking to see if you were dead again.” Tim shrugged. “Too bad.”

Again Jason wasn’t sure if he wanted to laugh or smack him. At least Tim wasn’t like Dick, who looked ten seconds from passing out whenever he brought it up around him. He pushed Tim away with his gun hand, leaving him holding the kid’s bo staff. “What are you doing here?”

“I wanted to ask you why Red Hood helped Robin the other day.” Tim didn’t look bothered about being disarmed. It should’ve bothered Jason. He made it a point to keep a distance from the family, keep them guessing. Sometimes he helped a rogue get away if it meant annoying them and no one would get hurt. Tim shouldn’t be standing in his place out of uniform save for his utility belt, looking as calm as if he did this once a week or something.

“Kid wanted to use my safehouse. I happened to be there, and I told him he had to let me in on the job. Turns out those guys were a thorn in my side anyway, being Marcona’s. So it worked out for both of us.”

Technically that was the truth. When Damian snuck in and saw Jason he didn’t slow down. He just threw down his bag and started changing. When Jason asked him what the strip tease was for the kid didn’t even get all huffy like he usually would. He simply said, “Colin has been taken by kidnappers. They’re going to Crime Alley.” Jason didn’t ask anymore questions, just got dressed as quick as he could, and when he got out on the roof he found the kid had waited for him. In fact it was Damian’s idea for Jason to leave his helmet on a nearby rooftop while the two of them snuck onto the warehouse roof. Then he left Jason in his red domino mask to crawl in through a hole and get the drop on them when they had their guns trained on the doors. Maybe it was their shared League training, or maybe it was their shared Bat training, but they executed the plan flawlessly. And Jason didn’t take it personal when the little brat acted all tough in front of the gingersnap and claimed he never wanted him to come along. Jason would’ve done the same thing if he were him.

Tim finally showed some kind of emotion on his face, and it was annoyance. “Bull.”

“What’s bull?”

“That excuse. You hate that little demon child as much as I do.”

Now Jason was getting fed up. “You got some helluva nerve,” he pulled himself up until he was sitting on the back of the sofa, one leg pulled up next to him, “coming into my place and telling me what I’m thinking and why I’m doing sh*t. First of all, if I do something it’s because I want to, and I don’t owe you a damn explanation. Second, I call Damian a demon to remind him that he came from the League, that he’s a grandson of Ra’s and a son of Talia, and that no matter what Bruce says his League training helped make him, and Bruce and I for that matter, as skilled as we are now. Third,” he used Tim’s staff to point at the white box in his other window, “fix my AC.”

Tim did a double take between him and the AC unit, his brows furrowing, “Wh…” he blinked. “Why…?” he drew the word out, clearly off balance from Jason going from “scolding” him to bossing him around.

“I ain’t your daddy or your adopted daddy, I’m not gonna stop you from doing dumb sh*t that’ll get you killed. Next time you pull a stunt like that with me I’m taking the safety off my gun and shootin’ you for real. For now, you can pay me back by doing me a favor, and maybe, maybe, I’ll tell you what you want to know if you actually ask me a question.”

Jason dropped the gun back between the cushions, rested the bo staff against his shoulder, and waited. It took a minute for Tim to realize he wasn’t playing, and then the teen moved toward the unit, pulling tools out of his belt. “I will never understand you.” At least he sounded half confused, half amused and not mad.

“That’s all I’m asking for.” Holding the bo staff to the side Jason spun it with one hand, over the back and to the palm again and again. He hadn’t used a staff in ages, but the weight was kind of familiar. Jason stopped spinning it to take a closer look. It was metal, light but sturdy. And…collapsable? He pushed either end in and made it half the size. Giving it a light shake didn’t make it open, but a downward slash made one end pop out. He collapsed it again and held it with his palm up, then quickly flipped it to the other side. Both ends extended. “Whoa. Magnets?”

“Yeah.” Tim had the plastic cover off the AC and was kneeling to mess with the insides. He looked at Jason once over his shoulder. “My own design. Having a full staff all the time was a hassle.”

“This is solid work. I’m impressed.”

“Thanks…” Tim said, unsure. “So…you don’t hate Damian?”

“Not any more than the rest of you.”

“Really?”

“Am I supposed to?”

Tim shrugged. “He acts like he hates us. Or, well, me anyway.”

Jason sighed through his nose, scratching his forehead with the staff. “Okay, but did you ever think about why he acts like that?”

“I don’t know. Maybe because Bruce adopted me a few months ago? Or because I was Robin when Talia sent him here, and Bruce wouldn’t let him go out at night with us, and he thought he deserved to be Robin? He calls me an upstart, and points out everything I do wrong all the time. He brushed me off when we first met–”

“Tim, Tim,” Jason interrupted, “you’re missing the bigger picture, here.”

“Which is…?”

“Alright lemme figure out how to explain this…” Jason got up and moved over to where Tim was and leaned on the wall nearby. “So imagine you’re Damian. You’ve spent ten years being trained to be an assassin, and the only things you know about your dad are that he’s Batman, he’s the only man to ever defeat Ra’s and escape the League, and he practically owns a city. Then you spend every day perfecting every lesson Talia ever taught you so that you could be good enough to be your father’s son, and maybe one day surpass him, which in the League means killing him, or disabling him forever. You following?”

“Yeah.” Tim’s expression said he was clearly wondering where this was going, even as he kept working on the AC.

“Okay so then you finally get to meet your dad, and the first thing you realize is that he had no idea that you existed for your entire life, and not only that but the “apprentices” he’s had,” Jason made sure to use air quotes, “are not just apprentices, they’re also his kids and he cares about them very much. But your whole life Talia told you that you would need to prove that you’re better than them, because in the end you’re Bruce’s blood heir and the only one that’s supposed to matter. So now there you are, staying with him and trying to find out where you fit in, while also realizing that your dad doesn’t agree with any of the methods your mom taught you. Would be confusing as hell, wouldn’t it?”

“Yeah…” Tim agreed, his voice trailing off at the end. Clearly he hadn’t thought about this stuff before.

“Alright so you’re Damian. You find out your mom wasn’t always telling the truth, and you’ve been living with your dad long enough to understand his way of thinking, which is really different from hers. You’re starting to figure out what your own opinion is, trying to find a place in your dad’s family, and you realize that it would be a good idea to start making up for the sh*tty way you’ve been acting. You go and try to make an effort to make amends with your dad’s current Robin…” Here Jason moved from the wall, squatting down to be at Tim’s eye level. “...and then you find the list he made of ways to take you out.”

Tim froze, his hands holding tools stilling where they were inside the AC unit, his eyes going wide.

“And that list includes a way to frame him for murder, drugging him in his sleep, and a few ideas of how to convince Talia to take him back.” Jason sat back on his heels, watching Tim.

After a painful minute of silence, Tim met Jason’s eyes. “...Damian found the list…?”

Jason ground his teeth together. “..so there is a list?”

“I…” Tim lowered his tools. “Yes. I made a list.” Jason was glad the teen had a look of guilt on his face, because if he didn’t Jason wasn’t sure what he might have done.

“What the hell were you thinking?” he breathed out.

“I wasn’t, I mean, I wouldn’t use it now–”

“Damn straight you wouldn’t. Jesus Christ, Tim.” Jason stood up and walked a few feet away, rubbing his face with his free hand.

He heard Tim stand up. “It was a contingency plan. In case he turned against us. Bruce trusted him so fast, if Talia sent him to spy–”

Jason spun around. “Did you learn nothing when you were Robin?! Robin’s stick together! Didn’t you hear how Bruce almost got kicked out of the Justice League for doing the exact same thing to them?! If he hadn’t left, they would have!”

“I-I know, Jason. It was…I never meant for Damian to see it. How did he find it, why did he tell you?”

“I don’t know how he found it. All I know is that after Bruce disappeared and Dick became Batman and he made Damian Robin, Damian came and told me all about it. He tried to tell Dick, but Dick wouldn’t hear anything bad about you, and neither would Cass or Alfred. He didn’t know if it would ever get traced back to you if something happened to him, and he didn’t want Bruce to come back and get the wrong story. That’s why he told me, and that’s why he gives you a hard time, and that’s why he almost killed you that one time.”

Tim pushed both hands through his hair, pulling on it with both fists. “...I’m an idiot…”

“No. You’re a mess.” Tim looked up with a “what the hell” face. “Look, maybe this’ll be sh*tty to hear, but you need a reality check, alright? Dick made Damian Robin because you wouldn’t even get out of bed. You lost Steph, your dad, your soulmate, your friends, and then Bruce one after the other. I had a lot of sh*tty things happen to me, but you? f*ck Tim, you went through hell. He didn’t know if you were ever going to be okay. He was so terrified you might kill yourself that he put cameras in your room and had people watch you twenty four seven. He didn’t know what to do. On top of all that, he had his own sh*t going on, and he put that all aside to be there for the family. So if you’re still pissed about losing Robin, it’s time to let it go, and coming from me that’s saying something.”

Tim looked like he was trying to keep from snapping at him, but honestly Jason would have preferred that to the way his eyes shone like he was almost about to cry. “Why…why didn’t Dick talk to me? He still won’t…” If Tim had wanted to fight him it would’ve been so much easier. But he wasn’t gonna turn the kid away, because if Tim was willing to unload on him then it might, might help the others. He owed Dick, so he had to try.

“Look,” Jason moved back to Tim, getting him to sit cross legged next to him on the floor. “I was all for grabbing you by the balls and telling you to get the hell over yourself. I mean, it’s me, and I didn’t have a lot of sympathy for ya. But then you f*cked off to Europe. Or…wherever the hell you went. After Dick asked Clark to listen to what you were up to, he thought maybe letting you finish whatever mission you seemed to be on would be good for ya. Then you brought Bruce back, and here we are. You gave yourself a new name, a new look, you started doing things for yourself. Dick was so glad he didn’t lose you that he didn’t want to say anything and rock the boat. He hated being Batman, you know it, I know it. Bruce coming back meant he could step back. But he never stopped caring. Bruce, him, Alfred, they figured you’d come to them if you needed them.”

“...” Tim wiped his eyes with the heel of his hand, even though he didn’t end up crying. He picked up the tools from where he set them down and went back to tinkering with the AC. “...I don’t know what to do.” he admitted, not meeting Jason’s eyes.

“Well for starters, you can stop being so sh*tty to the bat brat and the gingersnap. It’s not their fault Superboy’s dead.”

Tim sent a glare his way, but it was only for a moment and there was very little heat in it. Jason saw the way he got untense almost as quickly as he got tense. Jason wanted to think that maybe Tim appreciated that Jason wasn’t pulling punches and treating him like he was still breakable, the way the others were. After another few seconds he heard the AC kick on all of a sudden, with a lot more noise than was necessary, but still.

“Thank f*ckin god!” Jason got up and tossed Tim his bo staff, not looking to see if he caught it, but hearing the sound of it landing in the teen’s palm anyway. “I’m taking a nap, all this heart to heart crap wore me out.” With that he jumped over the couch and landed on it the long way, sinking into the cushions and feeling the air already start to cool. He let out a happy sigh, folding his arms behind his head.

This time when Tim walked over, Jason opened one eye to look at him. The teen stood behind the couch, one hand resting on it as he put his bo staff back on his belt next to his tools. He looked at Jason for a second but wouldn’t meet his eyes. “I was thinking of…leaving the manor for a while. Maybe going to visit the Titans, or…Mr. And Mrs. Kent, in Smallville.”

Jason watched Tim’s face, seeing the way the teen was letting himself be vulnerable and deciding not to make him feel like he shouldn’t have. “That might not be a bad idea, kid.” he said, honestly. “It’ll be good for you.”

“Will Bruce let me?”

“Are you gonna let that stop you if he doesn’t?” Tim didn’t answer. “You’re a teenager, Tim. Rebel a little.” Jason knew what Tim didn’t, that Bruce was nothing like Jack Drake. No matter what Tim did, Bruce would welcome him back in a heartbeat. He did that for Jason, even though he wasn’t sure he deserved it.

He didn’t regret the hell he raised for Bruce when he first came back to Gotham, his choices got rid of a lot of dangerous thugs that were out on the streets. But after the pit madness that Talia encouraged started to wear off, he realized that destroying Bruce wouldn’t give him what he wanted, whatever that was supposed to be. For now he was going to keep living, and doing his part to keep Gotham from becoming an even bigger sh*tstain on the world. And hey, if that meant he could start forming new bonds with the Bats…that wasn’t so bad. Hell, a year and a half ago if Tim Drake broke into his apartment he’d be dead, and Jason would have left his head on Bruce’s doormat. Whatever the hell this talk was, it was an improvement.

“Just don’t go and get yourself killed, Replacement. I’ve learned a few things, including how to drag you back to life if I have to. That would be a gigantic pain in my ass, and you’d owe me for it for life.”

He was glad to hear a scoff from Tim. “Yeah, couldn’t ask you to do more than the bare minimum, could we?”

“Nope. Now get the hell out of my apartment.” he waved a hand at the teen, closing his eyes and intending to actually get some rest.

“...” Tim walked to the window, stopped, and turned to look at him over his shoulder. “...when did your eyes change?”

Jason opened his gunmetal blue eyes, but only so he could look at the cracks in the paint on his ceiling. “...couple months ago.”

“Before Damian?”

“Yeah…”

He didn’t know if Tim would say any more, or if he would keep it to himself. Either way it didn’t matter to him. And when he heard him go out the window he came in, closing it behind him, he let out a sigh. Jason hoped Roy would be back soon. He missed the ginger.

Jason looked at the lighter still sitting where he threw it earlier. He knew he was never going to smoke again, he’d kicked the habit months ago. It was all thanks to the little red head at St. Aden’s, who saw him walk out for a smoke break after helping to bring in donations for the kids. He’d been wearing one of Roy’s hats to hide the white streak in his hair that he got from the Lazarus Pit, and Jason kept his head down to not bring a lot of attention to himself. He even walked outside the gate so he wasn't technically smoking on the grounds. It didn’t stop the ginger from coming up behind him and telling him it was gross. Jason had said that the kid sounded like his older brother, who’d been telling him to quit for years. And the kid said, Jason would never forget, “You shouldn’t have to have someone tell you not to do something stupid.”

Of course he hightailed it out of there before Jason fully turned around with a disbelieving grin on his face, but still Jason grinned again at the memory of that tough little gingersnap. He had Narrow marrow, something a teacher of his back before Bruce took him in used to say. Colin was a good match for Damian, because he wasn’t going to take his crap when push came to shove.

Chapter 18

Chapter Text

“Hi. My name is Colin Wilkes. It’s nice to meet you.” Colin put on one of his most charming smiles and made sure to sit up nice and straight. He was wearing one of the suits Pennyworth had bought for him that day they went shopping. It was gray blue and his bowtie was a sherbert orange. Damian had tied it for him because he didn’t have the hang of how to do it yet, though Damian didn’t begrudge him for that.

“It’s nice to meet you too, Colin. How old are you?” Father was sitting on Damian’s desk chair across from the two of them, who sat on Damian’s bed. They were doing a dress rehearsal of sorts for their interview tomorrow. Pennyworth was standing to the side, watching. He was mostly there to remind Colin not to fidget with his suit. The redhead needed more time to get used to wearing them, but it was time they didn’t have.

“I’m ten.” His birthday was months ago, but Damian’s was later this year. Damian would be eleven, and he remembered how Colin pouted when he realized he was the youngest member of the family right now. Damian was more than willing to let his soulmate have that honor.

“You met the Waynes at the fundraiser for St. Aden’s. What was that like?” Father watched Colin’s reactions to each question carefully, though it wasn’t really needed anymore. Colin was a fast learner, and after Father had given examples of how a question could be misleading or lead to more personal ones Colin soon began giving short, concise responses. No more, no less. Admittedly he was doing better than Damian had when he first began doing interviews, but that was probably due to his more amiable personality.

After Colin recounted how he’d met each member of the family present at the fundraiser, the questions continued, asking him about his likes and dislikes, what it was like to live at Wayne Manor, etcetera. Father made sure to include many questions, more than were likely to be asked, even some that were meant to be insulting to either Colin, Damian, or the family. Colin didn’t fall for any of them, either deflecting or acting innocently confused, which would make the interviewer look bad if they were to push too far. Missy Warner would most likely not ask these kinds of questions, but being prepared was better than not.

Father lowered his tablet with his notes on it, looking pleased. “Great job, Colin. I think we’re as ready as we can be for tomorrow.”

Colin’s smile was delighted. They all could see how proud he was. Damian was happy his soulmate wasn’t doubting himself, and glad that he had gained confidence since coming to live with them.

“You should be very proud, young sir.” Pennyworth came over to take his jacket. He would set aside his suit for tomorrow after one last check for cleanliness. “The interview will be, if you’ll pardon the expression, mere child’s play.”

“Thanks Alfred!” Colin said. Damian was also very happy how close the two were becoming as the days went on. Pennyworth was an incredible ally and confidante, and Colin was clearly benefiting from having an adult he could trust that wasn’t related, biologically or through adoption, to Damian. Though the butler was just as much a member of the family, and no one would deny that.

They were all standing, discussing what to do for the rest of the day when Grayson hurried in through the open doorway. “Bruce!” He was short of breath, but tried to catch it. “It’s Tim! He says he’s leaving and he doesn’t know when he’s coming back!” He didn’t stay to see what they thought, just hurried back the way he came. Father and Pennyworth barely exchanged a glance before they were putting down what they were holding and following after Grayson.

Damian saw that Colin’s eyes were sad and confused. “Tim’s leaving?”

“Come,” Damian took Colin’s hand as they hurried after the adults “we won’t know anything if we stay here.”

Colin quietly said beneath his breath while they were walking, “I didn’t want him to go…even when I was maddest at him…”

“I know, Beloved.” Damian felt his own feelings of guilt for not trying harder with Drake. “Neither did I.”

By the time they reached the upper landing of the foyer it was to see Grayson, Father, and Pennyworth standing with Drake near the front doors. The teen had only a duffle bag, a metal case that most likely had his suit and tools, and a cardboard box. He didn’t have a look of defiance or anger on his face, only the smallest amount of dread. Damian hoped he wasn’t so callus that he planned to leave without being discovered only to be thwarted by Grayson?

“Tim, you can’t go. Bruce, tell him!” Grayson gestured at Drake with his hand, worry plain on his face.

“Master Dick, please calm yourself.” Pennyworth was unnerved enough to let himself snap while saying that. His voice gentled when he turned to Drake. “Master Tim, what on earth is going through your mind? No one has said you have to leave. Perhaps we should step into the kitchen and discuss this over some refreshments?”

Drake shook his head. “I’ve made up my mind, Alfred. I need some space, space I can’t get here.”

Grayson made a panicked noise. “Bruce.”

“Dick. Stop.” Father put his hand up, but there wasn’t anger in his tone. If anything he looked pained as he spoke to Drake. “Were you planning to come back?”

Damian was relieved at the guilt on Drake’s face. If he had been emotionless at the question it might have meant their family was about to be torn apart from the loss. “If you let me back…”

“Of course I would let you back.” Father seemed almost offended. “You’re one of my boys, Tim. This is your home, this is where you belong. I’m just trying to understand why you feel like you have to do this.”

“I don’t even know that. I just…the way things have been since…since Kon died…” Drake paused to take a breath, seeming not to notice how surprised they all were that he had brought up his soulmate. “It hasn’t been working, Bruce. I’ve pretended I’m okay, done what I thought I was supposed to do, and kept it together but…it’s not enough. I miss my soulmate, I miss my friends…I even miss Jack and Janet. I think. And I miss being Robin.” Damian tensed at the words, but when Drake looked up at the two of them on the landing he made himself relax. Drake’s black eyes met Damian’s blue ones, and he spoke directly to him when he said, “I’ll never be Robin again. Not the way I used to be. I’m letting that go. I don’t know if you want my blessing, but you’ve got it. You’re doing good with it, so I’m trusting you to keep that up.”

“I…” Damian didn’t know what to say. He hadn’t realized how much he’d wanted that from Drake, and getting it now felt like a weight off his chest, as though it was suddenly easier to breathe than it had been since Grayson had made him Robin. The name Robin had a legacy, one he used to think he was owed a part of. Humbling himself enough to realize it was a privilege to wear those colors didn’t come without a heavy blow to his pride. He’d only ever wanted to make Father proud, but being Robin meant making Grayson, Todd, and Drake proud too. Without Drake’s consent it had felt as if he’d stolen it. He felt grateful beyond words. “I will.”

Drake gestured for him to come down. “Come here. I want to talk to you for a minute.

Feeling a hand on his shoulder, Damian looked at Colin and saw the encouragement in his eyes. So he nodded and walked past the others who were watching with conflicted emotions while Colin trailed behind. He and Drake moved closer to the front doors while the others stepped back to give them space.

“Yes?” he asked quietly and cautiously.

Drake smiled ruefully. “I don’t blame you for not trusting me.”

“Never mind that for the moment. Father is very upset. You do not have to go, Drake.”

“I know he is. I’ve been upsetting everyone…including you.” There seemed to be a question he wasn’t asking.

Damian shrugged, because perhaps that was true but what did it matter? They’d never really gotten along with each other.

“...I’m sorry about the list, Damian.”

“The list?” he asked haltingly, hoping he didn’t mean…

“The one I made about you.”

Mind racing, he came to the only conclusion he could as to why Drake would know that he knew. “Todd told you?” At Drake’s nod he could only ask, “Why would he tell you?

“Well, in his words, I needed to get my head out of my ass. And he was right. Making that list was wrong of me. I shouldn’t have done it.”

“Then…why did you?” That list had been hard to read, but it was logical, well thought out, something the League would have approved of. Perhaps that was why it unsettled Damian as much as it did.

“...” Though they were standing next to each other, Drake bent so they were at a closer eye level. “When you first came here, you had a lot of walls up. I thought they’d come down sooner than they did, but you kept them up for months. I guess I convinced myself that the way you acted was how you really are, and that made it easier. I should have trusted my first instincts instead of treating you the way you were treating me. Because I’m older and stuff. I know you don’t want to be treated like a kid but…” He shook his head. “Anyway, I really am sorry. I deleted it, permanently. I hope you can forgive me.”

Damian thought over the year he had spent under the same roof as Drake. Their first meeting, every fight, every barbed word exchanged, the quietness of the manor after Drake’s loss of his soulmate, and the times he had seen the teen staring at the wall, crystal clear tears running down his face in silence. The feeling of helplessness as the family tried to function as if all was well, and him having no way of setting things right. To turn down this gift now would be a mistake he would never forgive himself for.

“If you can forgive me, then I can forgive you.”

Drake smiled. It was small, and grateful as he held out his hand. “It’s a deal.”

They shook hands like men, sealing their agreement. They might never fully see eye to eye on everything, but the old animosities and hurts were let go. When they turned back to the others it was to see Father watching them. Damian was sure he saw some sense of relief in his eyes.

“Alfred,” Father said, “go pull one of the cars around front for Tim, please.”

The butler seemed torn, but after a moment he nodded. “Right away, Master Bruce.” He left to the kitchen in order to reach the garage.

“You don’t have to do that, Bruce.” Drake said, though not with much resistance. “I was going to call a car to get into the city.”

“I’d rather you have something reliable to get you where you want to go.” He came over and set his hand on Drake’s arm. “Please check in regularly. Call, text, email, whatever you want. I just need to know that you’re okay.”

“I can do that.” Drake agreed. “You’re really okay with this?”

Father thought for a moment. “If you need this, then I want you to do it. I know you can take care of yourself. Besides,” he managed a sad smile, “if you don’t Alfred will never let you hear the end of it.”

That startled a laugh from Drake, the last bit of it almost sounded as if he would cry. He put his arms around Father’s ribs, his forehead pressing into his chest. “I’ll be back soon. I promise.”

“I know. I’ll miss you, kiddo.” He rubbed Drake’s back and pulled him closer for a moment before letting him go.

“Hey,” Grayson stepped up too, also sounding a bit choked with emotion. “Don’t leave me out, Timmy.” He seemed relieved when Drake let him pull him into a patented Grayson hug, which of course lasted longer than Father’s. When they parted it seemed there were many more things he wished to say, but decided now wasn’t the time. “Come back soon, okay?”

“Okay.” Drake seemed happy, happier than he had been for the last little while. He even kept the smile when Colin came to timidly tug on the sleeve of his hooded sweatshirt.

“But…you can’t go yet. I-I didn’t get a chance to accept your apology.” Drake hadn’t offered it to him yet, but Colin was clearly trying a last ditch attempt to make Drake reconsider leaving. “So…” Colin trailed off.

“Tell you what,” Drake bent again to be at Colin’s eye level, “when I get back I’ll give you the best apology I can. It’ll be all sappy and heartfelt, too. What do you say?”

Colin thought, then gave a half smile. “I guess that’ll work.” He and Tim exchanged a handshake as well.

As a group they went out front to meet Pennyworth waiting beside a blue convertible. It was a model from the nineties, classy but not sporty. Perfect for blending in. Drake’s things were packed, and the teen stood beside the driver door as he looked at them all one more time and gave them one last wave goodbye. Then he climbed in, belted up, and pulled away to begin his drive down to the front gate. Colin and Grayson were both still waving for a minute when the car pulled out of sight.

“Are you two alright?” Damian and Colin both looked up as Pennyworth asked the question, but it wasn’t directed at them. Father and Grayson were both standing with a similar expression on their faces, staring at the last place they had seen Drake.

“Bruce…I–”

Father gently interrupted Grayson. “Don’t. It’s not your fault. I should’ve done more.” The way his brow pulled together showed how disappointed he was in himself. “If I hadn’t been so strict with him after Jason…I could have let him share his identity with his friends from the beginning. Tim could have had more time with Kon-El, and there wouldn’t have been that awkward time after their eyes changed. I should have made Tim talk about it, after I came back, even if it hurt. I was just so happy to be home…”

“Father…”

“Mr. Wayne…”

It seemed both he and Colin had the same desire to comfort him, and they spoke over each other unintentionally. They looked at each other, most likely to choose who would speak first, but Pennyworth stepped in before they could.

“You did what you believed was best. Both of you.” He set a hand on both Father and Grayson’s shoulder. “All isn’t lost. Master Tim will return in due time. Please try to put your minds at ease.”

They stood for a moment in silence, each thinking their own thoughts. Eventually Father pulled away and began walking back inside. “I have some work to do…”

Grayson gave him a moment and then followed. “I think I’m gonna go take a walk.”

When both were gone Pennyworth lowered his hands. He sighed quietly. “They are far too much alike.”

“Are they gonna be okay?” Colin asked, concerned.

“Yes of course,” Pennyworth put a hand on Colin’s head affectionately. His voice held a tinge of sarcasm as he continued. “but first they need to go off alone in order to brood and drag themselves into a depressive spiral of regret and self loathing.”

“So, the usual.” Damian quipped.

“Indeed.”

“Can’t we do anything to help?” Colin asked, his kind nature clearly demanding he take action. “I don’t want them to be all…selfloathy.” Colin’s attempt at the word did manage to get a slight twitch of the lip from Pennyworth.

“Hm…” Damian thought, putting his chin in one hand and that elbow into the other.

“Do you have a strategy, lad?” Pennyworth must have recognized the look on his face.

“Yes. I believe a “divide and conquer” method would be best here. If I were to go and speak to Father while Colin spoke to Grayson, we might just be able to effectively pull them both out of their sadness in one fell swoop.”

Pennyworth nodded thoughtfully while Colin pointed at himself. “Me? You want me to talk to Dick?” He was surprised, but thankfully not doubtful.

“I suppose the plan would be as effective if we were to switch, but truthfully I wanted to be the one to speak to Father. I’m sure you’ll succeed, Colin. Grayson is fond of you, and of the two he is more likely to appreciate the gesture.”

“We have full confidence in you, Master Colin. Are you up for the task?”

Colin nodded, a determined look in his eyes. “If you think I can do it, then I’ll try my best.”

“Excellent.” The three of them went back inside, Pennyworth closing and securing the front doors. “Father is either in his study or the Cave, so that’s where I’ll go. Grayson on the other hand is probably pacing around the fountain in the courtyard. Let’s reconvene in the kitchen when we’re through.”

“Very good, Master Damian. With two capable young men at the helm, I’ll take this time to prepare lunch. I have just the recipe in mind to help lift the spirits.”

Colin showed them an American gesture, they formed a circle and put one of their hands on top of each others. Damian was sure he’d seen something like this during a sport game on television. “Okay, operation Cheer Up is on! Break!”

—--

After closing the glass doors behind him, Colin was out on the veranda. He didn’t see Dick at first, but when he circled around the fountain he found him. He wasn’t pacing like Damian said he would be, instead he was sitting on the edge with his head in his hands and his elbows resting on his knees. Colin wasn’t sure if he was crying, but when he came over and tapped his shoulder Dick lifted his head. His face was dry, but he was sad. “Hey, Col.”

“Hey.” Colin said back. “I thought you might hear me coming, you know, being Nightwing and all.”

“I’m off duty, cut me some slack.” Dick said with a grin. Colin could tell he was pretending to be happy.

“I’m gonna sit with you, okay?” Colin asked before he lost his nerve. He didn’t think Dick would snap at him, like Tim might have. But he didn’t want to push if Dick wanted to be alone.

“Of course, kiddo.” Dick patted the space next to him.

Colin sat. Then he scooched closer until his arm was against Dick’s and he could rest his head on his shoulder. Damian told him that Dick was very physically affectionate. He really liked hugs, and if a hug wasn’t an option he’d take a high five or a handshake instead. Colin remembered the hug he gave them after rescuing them at the fundraiser. Honestly Colin used to be like that too, and he still kinda was. It was mostly with Damian now, but he was happy when the others showed their affection to him.

“I’m sad Tim left.” Colin thought saying it would let Dick know he could say it too.

“Me too. I’m really sad…I’m going to miss him everyday.” He should’ve realized Dick would be an open book. It was nice though, to be able to ask a question and get an answer.

“Can Tim take care of himself, like Mr. Wayne said?”

Dick moved his hand side to side, turning it at the wrist. Colin knew that gesture meant “kind of”. “I just hope he gets enough sleep, and plenty to eat. He forgets sometimes, when he’s in the zone. Bruce does, too. Alfred has to nag them a lot.”

“At least he’s good at that.”

That made Dick laugh. “He is. You know when I first started being Robin, it was so weird to see a grown up not know how to remember when it was time to eat, or to go to bed. It made me feel really mature, ‘cause I had that down with no trouble. I think it also took some pressure off Alfred, having me there to help guilt Bruce into taking care of himself. Plus he has a huge soft spot for kids. Always did. Sure, he likes to pretend he’s all hardcore and tough, but he turns into a big old marshmallow when there’s a scared kid who needs him. Like me. And Jason. And Tim…” He sighed. “I try to be like him. Not all the time but…I don’t know.”

“Like…when you had to be Batman for a while?”

“Damian told you?”

“I got the history lesson.” Damian broke down the timeline for him, from the time Mr. Wayne started as Batman to now, and all the major things that happened that he knew about.

“Being a fan, that must’ve been a lot of fun.” At some point Dick had relaxed enough to sit up, and his arm had moved to go around him so Colin could sit closer.

“I guess. It’s like history class, that’s one of the subjects I like. It’s different when you know the people in the stories though…” A few weeks ago he would’ve geeked out so hard to learn everything Damian told him. It was easy to forget, when you turn off the TV or log out of the internet, that people keep living without you there to see it happening. And deaths, like Superboy’s, aren’t just something dramatic that happens on a screen, but a real life loss. “Was it hard? Being Batman?”

“Honest answers only?” The playful smirk dropped off his face when Colin didn’t smile back. He said seriously, “It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Like I said, I want to do good, the way Bruce does, but I can’t be Bruce. He loves us kids, he’d do anything, give anything he had for us. But Gotham is what he lives for. He thinks the reason he survived when his mom and dad didn’t is because he was meant to give his life to the city, and he’s given up so much to keep doing that.” Even as he shook his head he looked guilty. “Not me. I can’t. I might have picked Bludhaven as my turf, and some days I don’t even know if I’m doing any good there, but if it ended up being a lost cause tomorrow, I could walk away. Move on, find somewhere else I can do good in. Not Bruce. Sometimes I’m terrified that Tim and Damian are going to end up exactly like him…that’s why I make sure to come around as much as I can, and remind them to just…be kids, you know?” He laughed a little, but it sounded sad, and it made Colin feel sad.

All the things Dick said tumbled around in Colin’s head. There were too many things to ask about, too many things to say. So he just put a hand on Dick’s leg, making the man look at him and away from the trees in the distance. “You’re a good brother, Dick. And a good son, too.” It seemed like the right thing to say, that it would cheer Dick up and make him forget the things he couldn’t change.

It worked, it made Dick smile, even though his eyes watered. He pulled Colin into a hug, which Colin returned. “Thanks for saying that, Col. I’m so glad you and Damian found each other. You’re a great match for him.”

Dick thought they were a good match! Even if it was just something nice to say, it made Colin feel good deep down inside. And to think they almost missed each other that day–

Colin gasped.

“Colin?” Dick pulled back and looked at him. When he saw the confusion and worry on Colin’s face his voice got concerned. “Hey, what’s wrong?”

“I-I just remembered something. Something I forgot when I found out Damian was Robin.”

“Something you forgot?”

“The boss of the bad guys that kidnapped me, he said something. He asked me why someone would pay five hundred grand for me. I thought it was because I was Damian’s soulmate, but he said…he said the bounty went up the day before I met him.” He’d been staring at Dick’s shirt as he talked, but he looked up when he was done to see Dick staring back at him with wide eyes.

—--

On his way to Father’s study Damian whistled for Titus. The dog would usually drop whatever he’d been doing and come running to him. When he didn’t Damian wasn’t worried, because there were few reasons he wouldn’t come. At the bottom of the stairs to the Cave, he found his suspicions were correct. Titus was sitting at Father’s feet, his head resting on the man’s knee as he got a good ear rub.

Father’s back was to him as he approached. He sat in the large custom chair he’d put in sometime before Damian was even born. It had no wheels, but could rotate a full three hundred and sixty degrees and slid along a track so Father could reach any part of the Batcomputer without standing. He’d had it made large enough for a huge man like himself to be comfortable. When Damian sat in it he felt smaller than he usually did.

Damian stopped by his Father’s shoulder, crossing his arms when the man looked at him. “You borrowed my dog without asking again.”

“I didn’t tell him to follow me down here.” Father used his large fingers to massage the back of Titus’ head, making the dog let out a contented groan.

“Still, it is the principle.”

“Okay, okay,” Father said good naturedly, gently shooing Titus off his knee. He patted the arm of his chair. “Come here, trouble.”

Damian wasn’t sure what Father wanted at first, but let him coax him into sitting on the chair arm, his feet resting on Father’s thigh. It left Damian’s head being a little higher than his.

“You didn’t have to come down. I’m okay.” Father looked up at him, his hand resting on the top of Damian’s foot. The other was on the small of his back.

“Colin, Pennyworth, and I made a plan of attack. Colin is dealing with Grayson, and I am here to deal with you.”

“Oh really?” Father’s mouth quirked up at the corner.

“Yes. If you must brood, someone has to snap you out of it eventually. Besides, Colin can handle Grayson. After all, he is a pushover.”

Father’s head fell back against the headrest. He regarded him for a few minutes in silence, but not an uncomfortable one.

Still, it made Damian feel like he was being inspected. “What are you thinking?”

“I’m thinking how much like Talia you are. She did that too. Try to get me out of my own head, I mean. She had the same serious look on her face while she was doing it, too.”

“Oh.”

At his tone Father rubbed his back. “You know son, when I compare you to your mother I don’t mean anything bad by it.”

Damian didn’t meet his eyes. He found that hard to believe. “You don’t even like her.”

“That’s not true. I thought I was in love with her, once.” Damian looked at him from the corner of his eye. “Part of me still does love her. Not enough to trust her, but still.”

“How can you love someone you don’t trust? That’s oxymoronic.”

“It’s easier than you think. I don’t trust Dick not to overindulge in sweets from time to time, but he’s not hurting anyone when he does it. That’s the key part. If you can’t trust someone with your happiness or your safety, or the safety of someone else,” here he paused to turn Damian’s face his way, “and they end up causing harm, then you have every right not to trust them again. Maybe you’ll forgive them one day, but getting back that trust may never happen. That’s why I try to encourage you not to burn too many bridges with others, because there may not be a way to repair them later if you change your mind.”

“Like with Drake and I,” Damian realized. “If we had continued as we were, we may never have reached an understanding.”

Father nodded. “Anyway, you’ve gotten a lot of good traits from Talia. You’re very diligent, and candid, and you don’t let anyone push you around. You’re our serious little guy, and if that’s who you are, then I love that about you.”

Damian’s face felt warm. He wasn’t expecting all of this sudden praise. “If you say so, Father.” He narrowed his eyes at him. “We were meant to be discussing you. Not me.”