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Wayne Manor was bathed in silence tonight. The kind of deep, old silence that settled into the bones of the house. The grandfather clock in the hallway ticked steadily, as the wind brushed against the tall windows like a whisper.
But inside, in Dick’s chest, everything was loud. Too loud.
His breathing was controlled and measured, years of training made sure of that, but his hands trembled anyway. His fingers were curled tight against the edge of the mattress as he sat on the floor beside his bed.
He didn’t make a sound. He didn't dare to.
Not when the memories came in the form of nightmares.
Not when the room started feeling too small, too tight, like the walls were slowly inching closer.
Spyral had left ghosts in Dick's head and tonight they were loud. Dick squeezed his eyes shut, pressing the heel of his palm to his sternum like he could physically hold himself together.
He closed his eyes and did a breathing exercise just for the sake of doing it. In. Out. In. Out. But he was still shaking, still drowning.
Suddenly, the door creaked. Dick’s eyes opened instantly. The bedroom door had shifted just a little. A small shadow slipped inside. Tiny feet padding softly across the carpet. Dick didn’t move.
“Baba?” A small voice called, sleepy but laced in concern. Dick swallowed hard.
“Hey, baby bat,” he whispered. Damian stood in front of Dick, in his batman onesie that Dick had bought for him. Damian's messy hair was sticking out in every direction. He looked half-asleep yet completely serious at the same time, the way only he could.
“You are not in bed,” Damian said quietly, frowning. Dick tried to smile. “Couldn’t sleep.” Damian squinted at him.
The kid, even though barely six, had Bruce’s paranoia and Talia’s I-can-see-through-everything skills. Unfortunately for Dick, that meant he did see everything.
“You are sad.” Dick’s chest tightened. But, before Dick could say anything, Damian walked right over and climbed onto the bed. Then, he leaned down and wrapped his small arms around Dick’s shoulders. Just like that. No hesitation.
Damian pressed his cheek into Dick’s hair. Dick froze for half a second. Then he melted. His arms came up automatically, lifting Damian and placing him into his lap like he’d done a thousand times before. The kid curled up against him like a little furnace, warm and solid and real. Anchor. Damian yawned.
“You forgot goodnight kisses,” he mumbled. Dick huffed a quiet laugh. “Did I?” He asked, his voice sounded suspiciously like it might break into tears if he wasn’t careful enough. Damian just nodded against his chest. before answering. “That is unacceptable parenting.”
“Oh wow,” Dick murmured. “Call CPS.” Damian didn’t laugh. He just squished closer. Dick pressed a kiss to the top of Damian’s messy hair. Then another. Then one to his temple. Then his cheek.
Damian scrunched his face. “Baba.” Dick just hummed.
“You are doing too many.”
“Impossible, kisses are never too many, baby bat.” Another kiss. And then another.
Damian tried to glare, but he was giggling now, those small, rare giggles he saved for exactly one person in the world. Dick kept going. Kept prepping him kisses. Kiss on the other cheek. Kiss on his nose. Kiss on his forehead.
“Stop! Baba!” Damian shrieked.
“Nope.” Dick couldn't help but smile.
Kiss. “You are under attack.” Kiss. “—of highly illegal affection.”
Damian finally dissolved into full laughter, squirming in Dick’s lap while trying (and failing) to shove his face away. “Baba! I will bite you!”
“Oh no, Whatever shall I do?.” Dick laughed, real and unguarded before pulling Damian into a tight hug. Damian huffed dramatically, but he snuggled right back in, arms looping around Dick’s neck. For a long moment neither of them spoke. Dick breathed in slowly.
The storm inside his head had quieted. Just a little. Suddenly, Damian’s small hand had grabbed the collar of Dick's shirt. Holding on. Like Dick might float away if he didn’t.
“You may keep me,” Damian murmured sleepily.
Dick blinked. “Oh? How generous of you.”
Damian nodded, eyes already half closed. “You are my Baba.” Like that explained everything.
Dick pressed another soft kiss to his cheek. “You may keep me too, my baby bat.” Damian made a sleepy noise of agreement. They stayed there on the floor for a while, Damian curled up in Dick’s lap, Dick leaning back against the bed. His chest filled with warmth. Breathing. Holding. Kissing the kid’s soft little face every few minutes just because he could. And for the first time
that night, Dick felt like he could breathe again.