Fic: Damian's New Skill Chapter 4
Title: Damian's New Skill
Author: Brokaw22
Disclaimer: The norms
Rating: T
Story Synopsis: Thanks to another crazy night in Gotham, Damian has a new skill.
Thanks to Kathy for the beta work.
Previous Chapter: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three
Tim's been doing an excellent job of avoiding the manor, Dick, and, most importantly, Damian since his impromptu rendezvous with Dick the other night. The best part is, he's actually been genuinely busy, so no one can even claim that he's actively avoiding them...no matter how accurate it may be. Unfortunately, Tim knew that it couldn't last forever, which is why he's not even slightly surprised when he walks into his apartment to find Dick lounging on his couch with a bottle of water in his hand. “Hey, little brother, it's been a while.” He's got a giant grin on his face, and he looks about as relaxed as one can be, but that doesn't mean that Tim isn't still on high alert.
He drops his laptop bag on the floor by the door, and then turns toward Dick. Tim really doesn't have the energy for this. He just finished three very long and extensively boring WE meetings and Tim still needs to finish his paperwork for tomorrow's set of equally exhausting board meetings. “What do you want, Dick?”
When the smile slides off of Dick's face and he sits up straighter before placing the bottle of water on Tim's coffee table, Tim considers trying the apologetic 'overworked let's be amicable about this' line on him, but he figures it might be a bit late for that--especially since it's obvious that whatever Dick came here to say isn't going to lead to a pleasant conversation. “Did you know that that spell made Damian empathic?”
Tim sighs to himself. He knows an accusation when he hears one, and Dick's not asking...no matter how he phrases it. Tim doesn't see a reason to lie. After all, maybe if they just have this out, then he'll actually get the chance to finish all of his work before patrol tonight. “So, he finally told you, then.”
Dick's eyes narrow as he quickly gets to his feet. “Yeah, he did. What I can't understand is why you didn't. And don't try to pull some sort of loyalty crap on me, because you and Damian are barely even civil at the best of times.”
Tim shrugs and tries to subtly move back towards the door. He's not really sure how Dick thinks this conversation is going to go, but Tim likes to have an exit planned just in case. “We're doing better with that.”
Dick folds his arms over his chest in what Tim assumes is an attempt to look as imposing as possible. “Yeah, but that still doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you tell me about Damian?”
Tim takes another step back and has to almost physically stop himself from latching onto the door knob. He's not really sure what answer Dick wants to hear. It's not like he has a better reason beyond 'It was better for everyone involved if you didn't know,' which he knows Dick won't accept. “I figured that the kid would tell you in his own time.”
Dick takes a step closer, but Tim is more focused on the best way to double back to get the reports that he needs to finish if it comes to that. “You're hiding something. What is it?”
Tim shakes his head. There isn't a good way to sneak back into his own apartment, and maybe he should have thought about that when he set this place up. Unfortunately, at the time, he was more concerned with keeping unwanted individuals out. “What would I possibly be hiding?”
Dick throws up his hands in the air out of frustration. “I don't know, but is there a reason you keep getting closer and closer to the door?”
Tim freezes all over. He hadn't been paying attention, and now he has nowhere to go but forward. He takes a step away from the door. “Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Damian, but out of everything that could have happened, shouldn't we just be relieved that Damian's new empathic ability is the only thing that occurred?”
Dick huffs out a breath as he moves to circle around Tim's living room. “That's not really the point, Tim.” He honestly looks more annoyed now than when this conversation started, and Tim really can't understand why. After all, this has to be making his relationship with Damian all that much easier, so why is this such a big deal?
“Then what is the point, Dick, because I gotta say I'm pretty damn lost right now.” Tim doesn't even know why they're having this conversation. He can't see what Damian's magical mishap has to do with him. Hell, he wasn't even in the vicinity of the fight. He merely heard about it over the comm, and figured that, since Damian was being his normal self, everything was fine. Tim is honestly starting to regret going to the cave to stitch himself up that night, because if it wasn't for that tiny lapse in judgment, none of this would be his problem right now.
“The point is, Timmy, that I know you're hiding something. I know there's a reason you didn't tell me about Damian, and I want to know what it is. I've tried being patient and giving you your space, but it seems as though the more space I give you, the less we actually talk. I mean, I practically have to corner you to even see you nowadays.” Dick passes in front of the couch, and proceeds to slump down onto it, clearly exasperated.
Tim pushes a hand through his hair, and tries to find some way out of this fight. It's really not his fault that they just don't get along the way that they used to. After all, Dick's the one who pushed him away first. “Just because you feel it necessary to corner me on rooftops and in my own apartment because Damian is acting strange doesn't mean...”
Dick shakes his head and holds up a hand to stop him. “Don't do that...don't make this about something that it's not. We both know that our issues started long before Damian's run in with that witch.”
Tim sighs again. What is he supposed to do? It's not like any of this is going to magically get any better...no matter who's doing the casting. “Look, I'm tired. It's been a long day, and I still have work to do, so can we maybe shelve this until...”
Dick stands abruptly and takes a step closer to him. “No, we're not shelving this. We're not letting it go for now. We're having this out. I'm sick of constantly dropping it because you've got work or something else going on.” Tim knows that Dick needs to be in constant motion, especially when stressed, but the continually aborted effort to sit down and talk this out rationally is putting him even more on edge.
Tim raises an eyebrow as he folds his arms over his chest and tries to breathe through his own anger. “Right, because I'm always the one who has something else going on. You've never once ran out on me because of Gotham, or New York, or Damian, or a previous engagement.”
Dick takes a deep breath, and looks about two seconds away from tearing out his own hair. “I didn't say that. It's just...we never seem to have time to just hang out anymore. You're always busy, and I've got...”
“...more important things to deal with.” Tim finishes for him. He's done trying to be nice about this. Dick made his choices, and that's hardly something that Tim feels the need to shoulder the blame for.
“Hey, come on, I never said that.” Dick looks as though he just wants to wrap him in a hug, and Tim really can't deal with that right now. It figures that the first time in--Tim can't remember when--that Dick wants to show him physical affection is during a fight, and Tim isn't even actually sure how it started.
He wants nothing more than to just grab his reports and walk out the door, because he knows that this fight isn't going anywhere. It never does. “It's not important. Forget I said anything.”
Dick shakes his head. “No, come on, that's what this is all about, right?”
Tim glares at him, and tries to keep his frustration under control, because it's really not Dick's fault that he just can't seem to keep everything that he feeling to himself now of days. He'd love to blame Damian's new empathic ability, but the truth is, Tim has been having issues with keeping his snarky comments to himself for a some time now. “I don't know what this is about, Dick. I don't even understand why you're here. So, Damian has a new-found skill, and now he can read people's emotions. What does this have to do with me?”
Dick sighs and reaches out to grab Tim's shoulders, but Tim pulls away before he can. The hurt expression, while expected, still stings to see. “This isn't about Damian's sudden empathic ability. This is about the fact that you knew and didn't tell me. Wait a minute, how did you know about the effects of the spell? I'm sure Damian didn't just tell you out of the blue. What happened that night?”
Tim glances around his apartment, frantically searching for anything to get him out of this conversation, because those were the questions Tim was hoping to avoid since Dick mentioned that he knew about the full effects of the spell. It's times like these that Tim hopes for an emergency...no matter how terrible of a person that makes him. “Nothing happened that night. I stitched up my leg. He came down to the cave, because he's a nosy brat, and he mentioned his little spell problem. That's it.”
Dick's eyes narrow as he moves closer toward Tim again. “No, you're lying. I know it. I was trained by the world's greatest detective, too, remember? He read your emotions that night, didn't he? That's why you've been avoiding the manor. Damian knows something about you now...something that you didn't want anyone else to know. The only thing I can't figure out is why he didn't just tell me. What pact did you make with him?”
Tim's shoulders sag, and he hangs his head. He knew he couldn't keep Dick away from the truth forever, but it would have been nice if it could have lasted a little longer, especially since, after Dick figures out that the person he really should be talking to right now is Damian, Tim will have to find some way to shove all of this into the back of his head in order to focus on his work. “I didn't make a pact with Damian. I don't know why he didn't just tell you, especially since he told you about his new condition. I'd figure he'd love the chance to gloat.”
Dick raises an eyebrow at that. “Gloat? Gloat about what?”
Tim can't believe that Dick hasn't figured it out yet. The giant secret that isn't so well kept anymore. He laughs but there's no humor in it. The sound is sad and pathetic and grating to his own ears. It's more of a sob than anything else, and Tim can see Dick moving to wrap his arms around him out of the corner of his eye, but this time he doesn't move out of the way or try to stop him. After all, once the words are finally out of his mouth and Dick finally comes to the painfully obvious realization that Tim made what seems like eons ago, Tim's fairly certain that this will go away too. “You have the younger brother you've always wanted--the one who needs you in a way that I just don't and never have.”
Dick's arms tighten around him, and Tim has to fight not to clutch back. “What are you talking about? Of course, Damian needs me in a way that you don't. You weren't raised the way Damian was. What's that have to do with anything.”
Tim shakes his head, and slips out of the hug. He can't explain to Dick what he means, because he can't give up what little brotherly interactions he has with Dick--no matter how few they are--because it would hurt too much. “Nothing. I'm just tired, and I really do have a lot of work to do. Not to mention, you should get back to dealing with Damian. There's no telling how he dealt with feeling all of his classmates' emotions all day.” He gives Dick a reassuring smile, before grabbing his laptop bag, and heading for the door. “Sorry, I couldn't stick around longer, but I'm late for a meeting with Tam.” He rushes out the door before Dick can say anything and takes the stairs two at a time. Once he's on street level, Tim practically runs in the opposite direction of the path Dick will have to take back to the manor. He wants to tell himself that it's for the best, but he already knows it's a lie.
The End (for now)
Author: Brokaw22
Disclaimer: The norms
Rating: T
Story Synopsis: Thanks to another crazy night in Gotham, Damian has a new skill.
Thanks to Kathy for the beta work.
Previous Chapter: Chapter One Chapter Two Chapter Three
Tim's been doing an excellent job of avoiding the manor, Dick, and, most importantly, Damian since his impromptu rendezvous with Dick the other night. The best part is, he's actually been genuinely busy, so no one can even claim that he's actively avoiding them...no matter how accurate it may be. Unfortunately, Tim knew that it couldn't last forever, which is why he's not even slightly surprised when he walks into his apartment to find Dick lounging on his couch with a bottle of water in his hand. “Hey, little brother, it's been a while.” He's got a giant grin on his face, and he looks about as relaxed as one can be, but that doesn't mean that Tim isn't still on high alert.
He drops his laptop bag on the floor by the door, and then turns toward Dick. Tim really doesn't have the energy for this. He just finished three very long and extensively boring WE meetings and Tim still needs to finish his paperwork for tomorrow's set of equally exhausting board meetings. “What do you want, Dick?”
When the smile slides off of Dick's face and he sits up straighter before placing the bottle of water on Tim's coffee table, Tim considers trying the apologetic 'overworked let's be amicable about this' line on him, but he figures it might be a bit late for that--especially since it's obvious that whatever Dick came here to say isn't going to lead to a pleasant conversation. “Did you know that that spell made Damian empathic?”
Tim sighs to himself. He knows an accusation when he hears one, and Dick's not asking...no matter how he phrases it. Tim doesn't see a reason to lie. After all, maybe if they just have this out, then he'll actually get the chance to finish all of his work before patrol tonight. “So, he finally told you, then.”
Dick's eyes narrow as he quickly gets to his feet. “Yeah, he did. What I can't understand is why you didn't. And don't try to pull some sort of loyalty crap on me, because you and Damian are barely even civil at the best of times.”
Tim shrugs and tries to subtly move back towards the door. He's not really sure how Dick thinks this conversation is going to go, but Tim likes to have an exit planned just in case. “We're doing better with that.”
Dick folds his arms over his chest in what Tim assumes is an attempt to look as imposing as possible. “Yeah, but that still doesn't answer my question. Why didn't you tell me about Damian?”
Tim takes another step back and has to almost physically stop himself from latching onto the door knob. He's not really sure what answer Dick wants to hear. It's not like he has a better reason beyond 'It was better for everyone involved if you didn't know,' which he knows Dick won't accept. “I figured that the kid would tell you in his own time.”
Dick takes a step closer, but Tim is more focused on the best way to double back to get the reports that he needs to finish if it comes to that. “You're hiding something. What is it?”
Tim shakes his head. There isn't a good way to sneak back into his own apartment, and maybe he should have thought about that when he set this place up. Unfortunately, at the time, he was more concerned with keeping unwanted individuals out. “What would I possibly be hiding?”
Dick throws up his hands in the air out of frustration. “I don't know, but is there a reason you keep getting closer and closer to the door?”
Tim freezes all over. He hadn't been paying attention, and now he has nowhere to go but forward. He takes a step away from the door. “Look, I'm sorry I didn't tell you about Damian, but out of everything that could have happened, shouldn't we just be relieved that Damian's new empathic ability is the only thing that occurred?”
Dick huffs out a breath as he moves to circle around Tim's living room. “That's not really the point, Tim.” He honestly looks more annoyed now than when this conversation started, and Tim really can't understand why. After all, this has to be making his relationship with Damian all that much easier, so why is this such a big deal?
“Then what is the point, Dick, because I gotta say I'm pretty damn lost right now.” Tim doesn't even know why they're having this conversation. He can't see what Damian's magical mishap has to do with him. Hell, he wasn't even in the vicinity of the fight. He merely heard about it over the comm, and figured that, since Damian was being his normal self, everything was fine. Tim is honestly starting to regret going to the cave to stitch himself up that night, because if it wasn't for that tiny lapse in judgment, none of this would be his problem right now.
“The point is, Timmy, that I know you're hiding something. I know there's a reason you didn't tell me about Damian, and I want to know what it is. I've tried being patient and giving you your space, but it seems as though the more space I give you, the less we actually talk. I mean, I practically have to corner you to even see you nowadays.” Dick passes in front of the couch, and proceeds to slump down onto it, clearly exasperated.
Tim pushes a hand through his hair, and tries to find some way out of this fight. It's really not his fault that they just don't get along the way that they used to. After all, Dick's the one who pushed him away first. “Just because you feel it necessary to corner me on rooftops and in my own apartment because Damian is acting strange doesn't mean...”
Dick shakes his head and holds up a hand to stop him. “Don't do that...don't make this about something that it's not. We both know that our issues started long before Damian's run in with that witch.”
Tim sighs again. What is he supposed to do? It's not like any of this is going to magically get any better...no matter who's doing the casting. “Look, I'm tired. It's been a long day, and I still have work to do, so can we maybe shelve this until...”
Dick stands abruptly and takes a step closer to him. “No, we're not shelving this. We're not letting it go for now. We're having this out. I'm sick of constantly dropping it because you've got work or something else going on.” Tim knows that Dick needs to be in constant motion, especially when stressed, but the continually aborted effort to sit down and talk this out rationally is putting him even more on edge.
Tim raises an eyebrow as he folds his arms over his chest and tries to breathe through his own anger. “Right, because I'm always the one who has something else going on. You've never once ran out on me because of Gotham, or New York, or Damian, or a previous engagement.”
Dick takes a deep breath, and looks about two seconds away from tearing out his own hair. “I didn't say that. It's just...we never seem to have time to just hang out anymore. You're always busy, and I've got...”
“...more important things to deal with.” Tim finishes for him. He's done trying to be nice about this. Dick made his choices, and that's hardly something that Tim feels the need to shoulder the blame for.
“Hey, come on, I never said that.” Dick looks as though he just wants to wrap him in a hug, and Tim really can't deal with that right now. It figures that the first time in--Tim can't remember when--that Dick wants to show him physical affection is during a fight, and Tim isn't even actually sure how it started.
He wants nothing more than to just grab his reports and walk out the door, because he knows that this fight isn't going anywhere. It never does. “It's not important. Forget I said anything.”
Dick shakes his head. “No, come on, that's what this is all about, right?”
Tim glares at him, and tries to keep his frustration under control, because it's really not Dick's fault that he just can't seem to keep everything that he feeling to himself now of days. He'd love to blame Damian's new empathic ability, but the truth is, Tim has been having issues with keeping his snarky comments to himself for a some time now. “I don't know what this is about, Dick. I don't even understand why you're here. So, Damian has a new-found skill, and now he can read people's emotions. What does this have to do with me?”
Dick sighs and reaches out to grab Tim's shoulders, but Tim pulls away before he can. The hurt expression, while expected, still stings to see. “This isn't about Damian's sudden empathic ability. This is about the fact that you knew and didn't tell me. Wait a minute, how did you know about the effects of the spell? I'm sure Damian didn't just tell you out of the blue. What happened that night?”
Tim glances around his apartment, frantically searching for anything to get him out of this conversation, because those were the questions Tim was hoping to avoid since Dick mentioned that he knew about the full effects of the spell. It's times like these that Tim hopes for an emergency...no matter how terrible of a person that makes him. “Nothing happened that night. I stitched up my leg. He came down to the cave, because he's a nosy brat, and he mentioned his little spell problem. That's it.”
Dick's eyes narrow as he moves closer toward Tim again. “No, you're lying. I know it. I was trained by the world's greatest detective, too, remember? He read your emotions that night, didn't he? That's why you've been avoiding the manor. Damian knows something about you now...something that you didn't want anyone else to know. The only thing I can't figure out is why he didn't just tell me. What pact did you make with him?”
Tim's shoulders sag, and he hangs his head. He knew he couldn't keep Dick away from the truth forever, but it would have been nice if it could have lasted a little longer, especially since, after Dick figures out that the person he really should be talking to right now is Damian, Tim will have to find some way to shove all of this into the back of his head in order to focus on his work. “I didn't make a pact with Damian. I don't know why he didn't just tell you, especially since he told you about his new condition. I'd figure he'd love the chance to gloat.”
Dick raises an eyebrow at that. “Gloat? Gloat about what?”
Tim can't believe that Dick hasn't figured it out yet. The giant secret that isn't so well kept anymore. He laughs but there's no humor in it. The sound is sad and pathetic and grating to his own ears. It's more of a sob than anything else, and Tim can see Dick moving to wrap his arms around him out of the corner of his eye, but this time he doesn't move out of the way or try to stop him. After all, once the words are finally out of his mouth and Dick finally comes to the painfully obvious realization that Tim made what seems like eons ago, Tim's fairly certain that this will go away too. “You have the younger brother you've always wanted--the one who needs you in a way that I just don't and never have.”
Dick's arms tighten around him, and Tim has to fight not to clutch back. “What are you talking about? Of course, Damian needs me in a way that you don't. You weren't raised the way Damian was. What's that have to do with anything.”
Tim shakes his head, and slips out of the hug. He can't explain to Dick what he means, because he can't give up what little brotherly interactions he has with Dick--no matter how few they are--because it would hurt too much. “Nothing. I'm just tired, and I really do have a lot of work to do. Not to mention, you should get back to dealing with Damian. There's no telling how he dealt with feeling all of his classmates' emotions all day.” He gives Dick a reassuring smile, before grabbing his laptop bag, and heading for the door. “Sorry, I couldn't stick around longer, but I'm late for a meeting with Tam.” He rushes out the door before Dick can say anything and takes the stairs two at a time. Once he's on street level, Tim practically runs in the opposite direction of the path Dick will have to take back to the manor. He wants to tell himself that it's for the best, but he already knows it's a lie.
The End (for now)