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[batricide]

@hafid.alghul| ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[batricide]

[ His hands curl to fists. ]

This is bullshit.

[reneger]

'll make you a better deal.

( another step forward, hands sliding out of pockets. jason's careful not to tense up, to remain loose--damian's already stiffening and making fists, so. )

These ten minutes, stick to your IOU, and I'll give you three IOUs.

[batricide]

I don't want anything from you.

[ He means it with anger, but it comes out tired. He's watching Jason warily, prepared for a sneak attack. Ready to lash out if he's grabbed or a fist is swung. ]

I'm angry, this is stupid, and you're stupid for thinking the old man is any different from any other one in the universe.

[reneger]

( he doesn't grab damian, but he does take another step closer. stops when there's not even an arm length's distance between them. close enough to grab onto but not reaching for it. yet. )

Maybe I am stupid. ( voice calm, quiet; ) Maybe it's idiotic to want to believe in something, but. ( slow breath in, slow exhale through his lips. ) If he's the fucked up monster from your world, we'll take him down. There's three of us and one of him, we'll figure it out. He was willing to give me a second chance when I'd done fuck all to deserve it, and I wanna return the favor.

[batricide]

And that's why you're on his side.

[ he thought jason would understand. when they'd both come here, healed from the scars the old man decided to inflict on them for toeing out of line. he thought... he'd thought... ]

[reneger]

You're still not getting it. Said I want to, but I also said I'm on your side first and foremost. That if you're intent on giving ultimatums out, I'll choose you.

( now he reaches to close the distance, raises an arm (carefully, making sure not to spook him) to try and wrap it around damian's shoulders and pull him in for a hug. )

[batricide]

[ He wrenches out of Jason's touch, eyes burning with anger. ]

I know how this goes Jason!

[reneger]

( he could just let damian go. it'd be the safer option. the option that ends in less burns, less bruises. but nah. damian moves away and jason follows right after him. this hug is happening whether he likes it or not. )

No, you don't.

[batricide]

[ He doesn't like it. He doesn't like it at all. There's no fire but Damian reacts immediately to being caged, lashing out with fists and feet. ]

[reneger]

( the benefits to all the training jason has gone through is shit still hurts, sure: but he takes it a lot better than he used to. damian lashes out and it's--it's fine. whatever. kicks land, punches hit, but jason's fucking intent on getting his arms around shoulders.

before all this, before bruce, he'd lean into them. lean into jason and grumble crap but it was never--this. )

Damian.

[batricide]

Let go of me!

[ Before Jason was someone who could be trusted. An ally wholly on his side, someone he could turn to. Dick, too, had the benefit of being family, unquestioned, because the source of their strife wasn't there to tear them apart. It doesn't matter who this Bruce Wayne is - if these brothers are his brothers, then that man is his father.

And he can't separate the father he knows, the one who threw him away, from the man who claim to have no blood son. ]

[reneger]

( nah. he's got him now, damian can struggle all he wants. he's stuck here, dealing with jason pressing his cheek down on top of his stupid hair, holding him in tight. maybe he fucking hates it, maybe jason is going about this all wrong, but--he's pretty damn good at following his instincts, and maybe they've let him down more times than he cares to admit, but it doesn't mean he's stopping any time soon. )

I love you, you little shit. And I'm not gonna let you go that easy.

[batricide]

[ He's still struggling. Jason's holding him close and where this would usually be comforting, reassuring, now it's only suffocating. If Jason touches skin he'll feel the full weight of what Damian is actually feeling - regret, loss, fear, loathing, confusion, loneliness, panic, and rage burning in the background, always in the background, threatening to ignite and consume all of him - no part is fine. ]

[reneger]

( he doesn't need skin contact to know. doesn't try for it, because nobody wants to share themselves at their weakest point. wouldn't force that on damian even if he's forcing this onto him. an arm slides under one of damian's own, wraps around his back. uses all the strength he's got to hold onto this stupid, wiggly asshole of a sibling he's gotten. )

If you really want me to leave you alone due to some preconceived idea that I'm gonna abandon you--fine. Say it to my face. Look me in the eye, and tell me you don't want jack shit to do with me. I'll go. But until then? I'm staying right here.

[batricide]

[ He can't break free. Jason's bigger than him and stronger than him - hitting and stomping on his feet isn't having any effect. All he's left with is lighting up, and he - he's too aware of Jason's face against the top of his head to lose control that much.

He doesn't hug back. He doesn't calm down. He just stops fighting. ]

[reneger]

( damian could get an advantage over him. knows every way to snap a bone, knows how to break out of holds but he's just--slamming fists and feet and gives up and jason takes that as a sign as much as anything that it's--if he wanted to break loose he'd be gone already. this isn't that. he's lashing out just to lash out.

he's sure as hell gonna feel it later: bruises where fists slammed into him, maybe a sprained toe or two. definitely worth it though. )

You're more important to me than anyone else here, alright? ( damian needs someone more than anyone else does. bruce is--god, fucked up beyond imagine. dick's a mess. but damian's the one who acts like a spark next to a haystack: one wrong breeze away from burning everything to the ground. he gets it. ) Anything else. No matter how much you're acting like a giant ass.

[batricide]

[ He doesn't believe it.

Kate's already on his case for not being nice enough. Kara - god, he doesn't know how to begin unpacking the disaster he's sure that's going to be. Dick sees him as a stand-in for a ten year old he could still save from becoming -- this.

No one actually likes him for him. Not as far as he can see. ]

I don't want anything to do with you.

[reneger]

( ow. damian isn't struggling, so jason--loosens his grip a little. pulls back enough to slouch over, tries to look damian in the eye.

and raises a brow. )

Wanna repeat that?

[batricide]

[ He won't meet his gaze. ]

I said I don't want anything to do with you.

[reneger]

Then look at me and say it.

( calmly still, hands moving to rest on damian's shoulders. )

[batricide]

I said [ through grit teeth, he lifts his gaze ] I don't want anything to do with you!

[reneger]

( he could fight damian on this more. yell at him a little, fight him. because he knows he's fucking lying through his teeth, but starting shit isn't going to resolve anything. so jason lets go of him, raises his hands up instead. )

Alright. ( voice still steady, ) Then I'll steer clear, make sure you won't have to look at my ugly mug again, or see my shit on the network. Since you hate me so much, I'll stay away.

[batricide]

[ He skitters back several steps the second he's allowed to.

And then Jason says the words he thinks he wanted to hear, and instead of feeling satisfied, he only feels his stomach sink. His hands ball to fists, the words of a scathing remark sticking in his throat. ]

[reneger]

( his voice doesn't change, but jason's expression sure as hell does. eyes narrow, lips tight. )

Pushing away the people who care about you isn't going to fix anything. It won't make you feel better. Or more safe. It only gets lonelier, and darker. You're trying to avoid people fucking you over later, aren't you? Hurt them first so they can't hurt you later. But the one you're hurting most is yourself.

[batricide]

[ ... ]

How can you look at me and call me your brother, tell me that it doesn't matter we're from different universes, and expect me to co-exist with him anywhere near me. After all he's done to me, to you, to the world.