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Possibilities

Summary:

Damian seeks out one of the few people he trusts when put in an...emotionally stressful...situation.

(Takes place some time after “Intruders?”)

Notes:

(See the end of the work for notes.)

Work Text:

“Wow…I wasn’t...well-” Jonathan scratched the back of his head in a sheepish manner, making a point to try and not stare directly into his friend’s expectant eyes as he stuttered. “Can’t say that I expected that. Huh?” 

 

Damian wanted to be frustrated with the other alpha’s inability to form something coherent enough to continue a decent conversation, but he supposed that the confusion couldn’t be faulted. He would only admit this to himself, but he kinda forgot Jonathan’s relationship with Superman for the briefest of moments when meeting up with him not a day later after the Justice League’s disastrous first-meeting of Richard. Or, well, he didn’t forget it per se. More like, he went in with the intention of subtly hinting that Jonathan needed to talk with his father in an effort to fix this situation, but forgot that the guy wasn’t likely to scold his own father so easily. Maybe it said something about his relationship with Bruce if Damian had forgotten such an important detail without much thought - considering that he would have no issue screeching at the older alpha if he was stupid enough to do something so inappropriate. 

 

Then again, they had clashed about such...disputes...before. 

 

Oh well. It only validated his point, no? 

 

Back to the matter at hand though. “Whether it was expected or not is irrelevant.” In fact, Damian would go so far as to say that something like that happening as if planned would make this situation even worse. He withheld shoving Kryptonite up Superman’s anal passage only because it would upset Richard (the pup would be discouraged that his oldest brother sought out violence as an immediate situation) and Jonathan. The latter, he probably shouldn’t have considered too much given their past around the matter. Hell, Damian’s sure that he’s threatened Superman and committed bodily harm against the alien in front of his companion before. 

 

But this...well…

 

Maybe this felt too sensitive of a thing to really push for aggressive confrontations? Damian didn’t really know how to explain it clearly, not even to himself. 

 

“It shouldn’t have happened in the first place-” 

 

“Oh, no, no, no, no, no! I completely agree with you on that. 100%!” Jonathan’s eyes were wide with alarm as he waved his hands in front of Damian. “I’m not saying that at all! It wasn’t cool either way, I get it.” His cape did a little funny movement behind him as he jostled, almost prompting Damian to let out a loose laugh at the adorableness of the other alpha. Jonathan Kent was one of the strongest beings to walk the Earth, yet times like this only made Damian think of how...cute...the other was. Insufferable at times, yes. But overall, rather easy to cherish. It almost made him feel guilty for dragging him into this type of mess. 

 

Almost. 

 

Frankly, Damian’s need to push against Superman and make it clear that his lack of intervention when harming his younger brothers was a lot stronger. 

 

“I just...wow…” Jonathan’s lack of variety when it came to his reactions was astounding. Again, it tied into the adorably confused aura that he possessed. But also, like, left Damian with little to work with. That is, until his next words came out: “I’ll definitely talk to him about that soon. I don’t know why he hasn’t brought it up himself, actually. One would think that being able to meet one of Batman’s pups in his own cave would be the conversation of the century. Right?” 

 

“Assuming that the meeting went well? Perhaps.” Just to be clear, Damian wouldn’t be willing to let this matter drop for a long time. He cherished Jonathan’s council and his company - in and out of uniform. He appreciated that the other alpha was patient and understanding with his cause despite the opponents they seemed to be facing were his own flesh and blood. He relied on the lack of venom and distrust that their gathering filled the atmosphere with. However, this couldn’t simply be pushed aside. His second youngest brother was (somewhat) forcefully urged to share an important part of his past that wasn’t only traumatizing for them all to re-live, but had no business reaching League ears until he was prepared. It resulted in many days of unneeded emptiness and dissociation during the following the meeting. And it, unintentionally, pulled his youngest brother into feeling the guilt of a thousand lost souls - not only was the argument partly centered around his safety - but also because he didn’t know how to fix it. 

 

Richard didn’t know how to soothe Todd’s unpleasant hauntings in ways that could help him move forward once more. Right when they had reached new improvements in family bonding, no less!

 

In the end, maybe Damian should have felt like more of an awful brother for relying on their youngest family member to take on that challenge. In his defense though, which applied to Drake and his father unspokenly, he didn’t know what to do. He and Todd were hardly close enough where they felt comfortable enough to dip into those waters. The best thing that would happen was that it would reach a point where silence was the only thing that could commence. The worst would be that Todd lashed out because Damian was prying too much and anger clouded their respective judgements. 

 

Uuuuuuuuhhhhh...just thinking about it had Damian wincing unconsciously. 

 

“-and-oh shoot!” A hand reached out to grasp Damian’s shoulder in a firm grip, nails just lightly digging into the material of his robes as a show of hesitation. It was the alpha’s first instinct to place his hand on top of that intruding limb and flip his grabber over his shoulder, but the familiar smell invading his senses as he came back had him recoiling at such an idea. Right...Right...this was Jonathan. Jonathan, who knew better than to try and pry unless absolutely necessary when Damian had obviously been lost in thought. Jonathan, who was now gazing at him with such sincerity and compassion that Damian wanted to link their hands tightly together so that he could absorb some of the confidence that the other had about emotion. Jonathan, who didn’t even know those two specific brothers very well but still rushed to their defense because he knew of their importance to Damian. Also maybe because of his bleeding heart, but that first point still stood!

 

Any cold sensations that were previously taking over from his recollection were quickly melted away by Jonathan’s warmth. 

 

“I didn’t mean to upset you anymore.” Jonathan bit his bottom lip, eyes tilting downwards as Damian’s mind tried to catch up. Anything that the other alpha had been rambling about was completely lost to him as he was too stuck in his own head to take notice of the world around him to such a detailed extent. It made him feel guilty, but he knew better than to let his expression slip. His friend already seemed bothered by a mistake that he thinks he made - which he didn’t, to be perfectly clear. Damian didn’t want to risk any more misunderstandings that would delve into a whole different conversation that he wasn’t prepared to push through. 

 

Lord knows how he was doing decently in this one, considering the indignant mood he entered it with. Jonathan really had to be a miracle worker to put up with it all!

 

It brought a small, but very-present smile to his lips when he thought about it too much. “You didn’t, truly.” Reaching out, Jonathan was too shocked at the sight of Damian’s smile - as small as it was - to react as the hand grasping onto Damian’s shoulder was gently removed. It was a slow process, almost like the oldest Wayne heir was savoring the contact until their hands lowered as far as they dared go without having to lean down. But, even then, Damian didn’t let go immediately. Their fingers remained linked together as he continued: “I was just...thinking. About Todd, about Richard, about their bond...it’s so different from the ones I have with the two. Yet, the loyalty and the passion is still so strong…” 

 

Jonathan had a small chance of understanding, to Damian’s knowledge. Not to call the other dumb or emotionless, but his relationship with his own younger sibling - a clone that Drake somehow found himself fond of for the past few years or so - wasn’t nearly as intense. On one hand, that was great. Kon already dealt with so much about being a clone, created by Lex Luthor, of all people. The complications that arose with Superman and his actual family (discounting the Kryptonian's parents, they were surprisingly chill with everything) as a result was difficult enough to go through for someone who wasn’t to blame. He really didn’t need the added drama that Damian’s family somehow needed to come together. On the other hand, sometimes it made these conversations awkward. 

 

Damian was well-aware of how he came off to other people. He couldn’t say that he regretted it, it was heavily ingrained into him and he didn’t find it necessary to constantly gush about the care he had towards his brothers simply just to make a point that he actually felt things for his family. At the same time, sometimes it made the things that came out of his mouth sound stranger than they should have been. He acknowledged it, he understood it - he just also hated it. 

 

“I’m grateful that they feel comfortable going to each other.” Damian finally released Jonathan’s hand when he noticed that the alpha had started blushing a bit. He knew where he stood with the other, currently, so it was unwise to push his luck. Steadily, fingers were released from their interlockings and Damian was the first to slowly pull his hand back as to not startle Jonathan or make the other think that he was angry that they held hands for that long. It wouldn’t be the first time such a misunderstanding came up. What, with Damian’s...colorful...history of not wanting to hold physical affectionate gestures for too long. “I just...I feel...bad. I want to be able to provide that support as well, but I’m not...I know I’m not…” 

 

Damian sighed in a frustrated manner: “I’m not properly...equipped...to be efficient in such a thing-” 

 

Jonathan decided to stop Damian right there. “Hey! I’m sure that Jason would appreciate that you tried, right?” His eyes were wide and hopeful, though an edge of uncertainty clouded the surface when Damian looked deep enough. “And, I guess even if he did have trouble with it, then that must mean that he knows you’re doing your best by giving him space. If it’s Dick’s company he needs more, then it’s all his. Yeah?” 

 

Jonathan...oh, sweet Jonathan…

 

He made it sound so simple!

 

Damian only wished that his family could be gifted such an easy pathway to solutions like this!

 

“I suppose you have a point.” No reason to make Jonathan truly sad over something like this. It was Damian’s problem to fix and his burden to bear. He had already received word that Jonathan would be having a talk with his father about what has transpired. Hopefully, the alien would manage to do something helpful this time around. Even if it was as inactive as understanding the true extent of his actions. 

 

Was Damian being a bit harsh for something that wasn’t solely Superman’s fault? There was a  chance, certainly. He just didn’t dwell on that for too long when memories were filled with Jason’s pain and Richard’s anxiety.

 

(And...maybe, just MAYBE...it was nice to spend some time with Jonathan outside of formal work time…) 

 

∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾∾

 

“Woah, seriously? Man!” Kon was already sitting at the edge of his bunk as he took everything in, thank goodness. If he wasn’t, then there was a guarantee that he’d accidentally throw himself back into one of the walls and not only damage it, but possibly harm himself. He wasn’t as indestructible as Luthor had tried to make him, after all. “I haven’t heard  this from Timmy yet. And he’s the talker between the two of them! Right?” 

 

Jonathan wasn’t really sure how to answer that? Admittedly, Damian didn’t really set that high of a standard when it came to sharing stuff. Inside and outside of his family, to be clear. However, he wasn’t completely silent in the way that Kon seemed to be implying. Sure, speech - in the form of whining fits or raging tangents - wasn’t his style. Though, body language and the way that he approached certain people or certain subjects after something significant happened in his life was a pretty good give away to anything he was still feeling/thinking. Then again, was that only with Jonathan? He had known Damian since the guy was, like, ten years old. And he’s probably one of the few kids, hero community and not hero community, who stuck with him for this long instead of being scared away. 

 

...ok, yeah. He may have been a bit biased at this point…

 

But come on! It was difficult not to be. Sure, the other alpha could be extremely prickly on a daily basis but he wasn’t a bad guy! Not by a long shot. Once you got past that harsh exterior, there was something overwhelmingly passionate about his character. Aside from the harsh expectations and the condescending attitude that he put forth, Damian Wayne was also loyal, fiercely protective, and determined in ways that most heroes wouldn’t even dream of. He wasn’t afraid of the darkness in his life to the point of breaking, he faced it head-on with a stubbornness and bravery that Jonathan wished he had more of. Because he knew. He knew that he needed to be strong, especially when other people weren’t ready to face that pressure. It was something that a lot of people looked over when analyzing him, but not Jonathan. And while it was certainly true that the guy had his flaws within those two categories, he was only human. Plus, he was working on it! Jonathan had seen the major improvements that Damian’s finally earned. Not only through the teachings of his father, but the experiences he’s had with his little brothers. Young children who, in a way, helped force Damian to grow in ways that the alpha probably didn’t envision himself needing to until their needs came up. 

 

Personally, one of Jonathan’s favorite things was how careful he was. Not just in matters of family or cases, but his life in general. It was so easily misunderstood as being Bat-family-associated secretive or intentionally deceptive in order to hide potential weakness, but that wasn’t always the case! Jonathan knew that Damian was extra careful with how he acted because he didn’t want to shift back into who he used to be. The behavior that Ra’s and Talia had demonstrated and instilled into him hadn’t been as easy to get rid of as some people liked to assume. He knew that there were still days where Damian struggled to steer clear of more corrosive paths that his assassin-oriented family members encouraged. He was a lot better nowadays, especially since he had mostly reconnected with the rest of his family. Possibly any other friends within the hero community who could safely be told of his League of Assassins background too. Still...much like addictions...there were relapses…

 

Ones that Damian nipped right in the bud before they could take over. 

 

It always brought a smile to Jonathan’s face - sincerely joyous with a hint of smug satisfaction - that Damian had chosen to remain here instead of returning to the League of Assassins. He chose Bruce over Talia despite their conflicts and disagreements. He chose Alfred Pennyworth instead of the armada of servants that certainly wouldn’t give him sass or scold him when the situation called for it. He chose little brothers who were constantly testing him in terms of skill and patience (on the field and in their home) instead of highly trained assassins who would kill themselves if he commanded. He chose the superhero community, who possessed high morals and expectations of its members, instead of going back to ‘simpler ways’ through killing those deemed unsavable. 

 

He chose…

 

He chose Jonathan. 

 

He chose to remain his friend when he could have easily moved on and-

 

“-nny! Johnny!” 

 

Jonathan yelped when he felt his shoulder being pinched, his arm instinctively raising to swat at the offending hand without realizing who it was yet. It shouldn’t have been so disorienting, given that there was only one other person in the general area. The very person that he should have been conversing with instead of losing concentration. In his defense though, it wasn’t as if he did it on purpose! It was easy to get lost in thought when it came to Damian. 

 

For...reasons… 

 

“Dude, you’ve got it bad.” Kon was kind enough to point it out as soon as Jonathan had regained any sort of sense. While his tone of voice had something frustratingly ‘all-knowing’ to it, the look on his face was sympathetic. It would have been concerning had Jonathan not known what it was due to beforehand. 

 

Not that he fully understood it. No offense to Kon, but between the Wayne brothers, he’d like to think that Tim was a bit more expressive than Damian. Thus, it should have been obvious that he wasn’t as opposed to being Kon’s partner (or whatever word/term that other people used) as his younger brother sometimes made it sound like. Yeah, it sucked to be friend-zoned when you really just wanted to get your feelings out in the open so you stopped hiding stuff like that. But it’s not like Kon didn’t do that to himself! At this point, Jonathan was tempted to origami this shit and just hand Tim a folded heart with the subtitles: “From Kon-El, please accept my feelings or be gentle if you have to reject them. Thanks.” 

 

(He wouldn’t do that to his little brother though. He was just HEAVILY tempted on some days.) 

 

“Right back at ‘cha.” Jonathan let his lips pull into an indulgent smile as Kon only snorted and shook his head. Unlike Jonathan’s first few weeks after being told of his...feelings...towards Damian, Kon had taken his wake-up call with a mostly-smooth stride. It probably helped that he already had an idea that something deeper was developing before it came to light, but whatever. As long as he wasn’t panicking constantly in the presence of his desired one and breathing through paper bags like Jonathan was, then it was a win. Well, a partial win, anyway. “You should tell him, just so you know. Preferably soon?” 

 

“Oh, like you’re so ready to tell The Ghoul?” 

 

No, Jonathan really wasn’t…

 

But goddamnit, Kon had a good point!

Ok then. Jonathan straightened up a bit more than he needed to as he faced his younger brother. Time to compromise. He held out his hand: “How about this, I’ll tell my Wayne if you tell yours. Deal?” 

 

(At least if they were rejected, then they could seek comfort from each other more easily instead of dancing around that awkward mood of ‘I want to help you but I don’t know what you’re going through’.) 

 

Notes:

I mostly wanted to do some form of reaction for Damian to, not only give light to the relationship that he has with Jonathan, but also to give him a place where he could actually show some more feeling and it makes sense. So, one might say that this is mostly self-indulgent without having much of an actual story? I don’t know. It was fun writing either way!
Hope you all enjoyed!

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