Age Reversal AU (For Batfam)

[dfordangerous]

[ His father is dead, and he's still reeling from the shock. Alfred and Tim both know he's barely keeping it together, for all his standoffish composure. Years of preparing for this moment--

(steeling himself, to watch his father be laid to rest next to his grandparents)

--have done little to offset the grief. He wouldn't be seen at all if it weren't for his brother; if Tim hadn't coerced him out of his room in the hours following the funeral, hadn't confessed his worries for Cass (retreated, to the attic of all places), Jason (god, Jason, Damian's own cunning little húlí, he'd adored the man), and his father's newest stray, Richard. Dick. His father's Robin.

His Robin, now. As strange as the thought is. But the cowl is his, and so is Robin.

His Robin, who Alfred has informed him is currently making his roost up in the ballroom's chandeliers. Refusing to come down.

Damian, briefly, contemplates leaving him up there in favor of finishing reviewing this case file.

('He'll come down when he gets hungry,' he tells Alfred.

'He's in mourning, Master Damian,' Alfred points out, with all the dry chastisement his stiff upper lip can give.

'I'll get the broom.')

And here he is. He finds himself squinting in irritation up at the boy monkeying around on the fragile, expensive crystal. ]

Richard. [ Prim, clipped tones. Damian hardly raises his voice unless his fuse is blown; usually only when he's locked in a shouting match with Tim or with his father.

He doesn't know Richard that well. The boy is a relatively fresh arrival, and the past few months he's been here have seen Damian on longer missions; international and galactic trips alike. Before Bruce's death, they had maybe spent only a few hours in each other's company, and the boy was clearly not overly fond of him. ]

What are you doing?

Comments

[dfordangerous]

[ Why even have pets when you can have younger siblings? There's really no difference. None at all. ]

So boring. [ Mimicking mockingly under his breath, punctuated by careful scratching.

(Damian has never personally had his hair messed with in a pleasant fashion, has always kept it too short, so he doesn't understand what's so entrancing about it, but his longer-haired brothers and sister seem to especially adore it when he does. It shuts them up and puts them to sleep, and that's good enough for him.)

He's going to recommend to Alfred that they just keep Dick drugged and high as a kite for the next few weeks, otherwise he is going to be hearing that phrase too much. ]

I will contact the production companies about arranging for private screenings.

[ Good to be a Wayne. ]

And that new game, too -- Swordwalkers, right? That, and a few others. Should hold you over for the week or two before Alfred might allow you to hobble around.

[ Damian doesn't underestimate how quickly Dick can burn through games and movies. Keeping the boy entertained and from fidgeting too much will be a feat in itself. ]

[graysondive]

[If only he were a little quieter, he would be a perfect feline substitute.]

Sooooooo boooooriiiiiinnnnnggggg.

[Mimicking with even more mockery right back. So take that.

(Keeping him sedated was certainly the only way to assure he'd actually stay in bed. He was already planning his route to at least get as far as the window once he could put weight on his legs.)

But lucky for Damian, the mess of his hair succeeded in eliciting a yawn when he was done with his sass, and his eyelids started to droop.]

Oh, yeah! But I think that wasn't out until the end of the month... The companies seriously won't be mad if we don't go to the theater to watch their movies...?

[He still wasn't used to this Billionaire business. All of the DVDs and video tapes he'd had at the circus were probably ancient.]

[dfordangerous]

[ Wow, hey, strange coincidence how Damian's hand manages to find its way to Dick's mouth, muffling him mid-mimicry.

Shut up, says one hand. Go the fuck to sleep, says the other hand. ]

They will be happy to oblige, I assure you.

[ They always are. Dick would learn in time that money makes many requests and relationships go much more smoothly. ]

[graysondive]

[And yet, the hand still doesn't stop him from making annoyed whines and muffles behind it; if anything it only motivates Dick to be louder and even more annoying about it, and he squinted his eyes open just enough to look totally annoyed.

But he would not be cowed so easily. He would not stand for this. And he wiggles his tongue out from his mouth (finding that indeed, at least his tongue didn't feel number like the rest of him), and licked the palm of Damian's hand with as much spit as he could muster (which wasn't as much as usual, but still enough to be a bit moist at least).

So take that.]

[dfordangerous]

[ There are only a few things that give Damian much pause in this world anymore. He's old at twenty-six: has crossed dimensions and lost teammates and fought evil gods and has watched his world constantly shift, constantly change, to the point where very little is a surprise. He takes everything in with silent judgment and a distinct lack of awe; unruffled, collected, and derisive.

He wasn't the heart of his team (that honor went to Chris Kent), but Damian is undeniably looked to as the leader in all situations.

He's Blackhawk, one of the world's most lauded and well-known heroes. Co-founder of multiple superhero youth teams, and full member of the JLA.

And Richard "Dick" Grayson, Robin, Boy Wonder, has just licked him.

Damian freezes, as if not comprehending this fact, or what to do about it, looking down at Dick with blatant consternation. ]

Why.

[ Flat. Incredulous. Why this thing? Disgusting. ]

[graysondive]

[Dick has never seen Damian Wayne, the Batman, look so downright incredulous as he did right now.

And it was absolutely probably the best thing Dick's seen in his entire time at the Manor.

So. He just starts laughing. Uncontrollably. Devolved to a fit of giggles and coughs only slightly muffled. But the effect is certainly not lost.]