[ The world has never given him anything. Regardless of what his bloodline may have promised, all it had offered was loss and hardship. He was the best because he simply had to be, because anything less would have been death. Uptight, on edge, always ready for a fight - the only time that had ever dropped had been when a better man than his father had worn the cowl. Dick had always known just how to play him, how to convince him to put down the weapons and allow himself a modicum of the childhood that had been denied to him. Convinced him to watch stupid movies despite protesting that it was for children, and allowed him the small freedoms to enjoy it without judgement or reminder that he should be better.
It was Dick who had broken down the walls around him. Allowed him to feel empathy without fear that it would be used against him, and allowed him to let himself become attached without fear that they'd be ripped away.
( the latter lesson had perhaps not been for the best, everyone who had been that for him - everyone but clark and vic - had turned traitor or died. )
The empathy link is only full of guilt and grief on his part. Love intertwined with pain. The wound is still raw, it doesn't matter that it's been years and he's used Dick's name as a weapon against his father (though no more so than was done to him, he thinks) and he's worn the costume, there was never closure. Never a resolution to the pain.
It's okay, Damian is nothing but an empty platitude when it was never okay again. ]
I'm sorry. [ His voice comes out strangled and quiet. ] I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It was an accident.
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It was Dick who had broken down the walls around him. Allowed him to feel empathy without fear that it would be used against him, and allowed him to let himself become attached without fear that they'd be ripped away.
( the latter lesson had perhaps not been for the best, everyone who had been that for him - everyone but clark and vic - had turned traitor or died. )
The empathy link is only full of guilt and grief on his part. Love intertwined with pain. The wound is still raw, it doesn't matter that it's been years and he's used Dick's name as a weapon against his father (though no more so than was done to him, he thinks) and he's worn the costume, there was never closure. Never a resolution to the pain.
It's okay, Damian is nothing but an empty platitude when it was never okay again. ]
I'm sorry. [ His voice comes out strangled and quiet. ] I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. It was an accident.