![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
[ he's thinking that he shouldn't see him until he knows what to say. and he definitely doesn't know what to say when dick refers to him by that nickname. it's not the one he's accustomed to - the little d to dick's big, but he's not little any more. ]
Fine. It makes my job easier, actually. We were down a super.
[ his super. ]
Fine. It makes my job easier, actually. We were down a super.
[ his super. ]
[ he really does wear his heart on his sleeve.
dick watches him closely. ]
Oh, yeah? Which one?
dick watches him closely. ]
Oh, yeah? Which one?
You can send him directly to me if you think he's going to start another civil war. Or me directly to him.
[ It wasn't fun the first time, but it was at the very least a learning experience. He's learned he'd rather not watch it happen again, and he's more than happy to put the work in to achieve those ends. ]
[ It wasn't fun the first time, but it was at the very least a learning experience. He's learned he'd rather not watch it happen again, and he's more than happy to put the work in to achieve those ends. ]
[ the texts come in slowly one after the other. ]
i talked to kate. [ he's not mentioning jason. ]
i'd like to talk as soon as you feel able.
[ he types and erases "i'm worried about you" and "call me please" ]
let me know, okay? i'm here for you.
i talked to kate. [ he's not mentioning jason. ]
i'd like to talk as soon as you feel able.
[ he types and erases "i'm worried about you" and "call me please" ]
let me know, okay? i'm here for you.
[ dick is the same. he was a hissy boy after being orphaned. he gave bruce a lot of grief. he grew into an angry young man.
he just hides all this well. ]
no, you don't. that's not what i'd give you, either.
i'll be coming by. not soon.
when you want me to.
he just hides all this well. ]
no, you don't. that's not what i'd give you, either.
i'll be coming by. not soon.
when you want me to.
[It hasn't been long since Damian was discharged from the hospital. They're back at the apartment, and things are... miserable. Kate is still shaken up and exhausted, Jason has apparently shut down, and Damian's... well. He doesn't really talk to her about his feelings at the best of times, and Kate can only guess at how much pain he's in. She's still sick with guilt and worry, and worse, she doesn't know what to do to help him. She doesn't want to leave him, but she's not sure if being here is making this harder on him somehow.]
Hey, um. Are you hungry?
[It's kind of a shot in the dark. She just wants to do something to help.]
Hey, um. Are you hungry?
[It's kind of a shot in the dark. She just wants to do something to help.]
[ Being angry is easier than feeling helpless.
The cybernetic limb they give him doesn't really do much for what he supposes is phantom pain. it moves, reacts to everything he wants it to do, but it doesn't feel like his. The wound is still raw, every little move hurts, and Damian would love nothing more than to shove it through a wall or beat it until it breaks too.
But it's his arm now. He needs it. If he hopes to do anything, get anywhere, he needs it. He's been sitting on the couch, quiet, trying not to look unable to but unable to actually look away. ]
... No.
The cybernetic limb they give him doesn't really do much for what he supposes is phantom pain. it moves, reacts to everything he wants it to do, but it doesn't feel like his. The wound is still raw, every little move hurts, and Damian would love nothing more than to shove it through a wall or beat it until it breaks too.
But it's his arm now. He needs it. If he hopes to do anything, get anywhere, he needs it. He's been sitting on the couch, quiet, trying not to look unable to but unable to actually look away. ]
... No.
[It's the answer she was expecting, really, but it still pulls her up short. As well as they've been doing, Damian is retreating into himself again, and she can't blame him. Kate hesitates, pressing her hip into the arm of the couch. She has no idea what he needs from her right now, and so finally she just sits beside him, making her best guess.
She reaches out to touch his arm softly, careful not to activate the empathy bond. He doesn't need that right now.]
...Thank you for coming to help me, Damian.
She reaches out to touch his arm softly, careful not to activate the empathy bond. He doesn't need that right now.]
...Thank you for coming to help me, Damian.
[ he shouldn't take it out on kate. he's supposed to be better than that - but touching him when he's upset has never been a great idea. he jerks his arm out of her reach. the metal fist clenches.
he's angry, that kind of pointless, directionless anger that always gets him in trouble. ]
You could have gotten yourself killed. What the hell were you thinking?
he's angry, that kind of pointless, directionless anger that always gets him in trouble. ]
You could have gotten yourself killed. What the hell were you thinking?
[Ah, there it is. He pulls away and Kate scoots back, putting a good two feet between them. The problem is, she knows he gets like this, taking out his anger on whoever or whatever's closest, but this time he has a right to be angry at her. She's not sure if this is directionless or pointed.]
Telling you what I was thinking wouldn't help.
Telling you what I was thinking wouldn't help.
[Kate is so utterly thrown by this—by his response, by the surprise on his face—that she's struck silent for a moment, struggling for something to say. What else would he be angry about? Shouldn't he be angry at her about everything?]
She attacked you for my screw up.
She attacked you for my screw up.
That's not...
[Not what she was expecting out of him. Not how she's thinking of it. Mason had torn into her, and even Loki had scolded her. That's what she deserves, not this.
But maybe arguing over whose fault it is doesn't matter. Kate falls silent again, pulling her feet up onto the couch and wrapping her arms around her knees. When she speaks up again, she can't keep the tremor out of her voice, try as she might.]
You're hurt and she barely touched me. That's what matters.
[Not what she was expecting out of him. Not how she's thinking of it. Mason had torn into her, and even Loki had scolded her. That's what she deserves, not this.
But maybe arguing over whose fault it is doesn't matter. Kate falls silent again, pulling her feet up onto the couch and wrapping her arms around her knees. When she speaks up again, she can't keep the tremor out of her voice, try as she might.]
You're hurt and she barely touched me. That's what matters.
[It doesn't matter if he can come out and say it or not—she understands the implication loud and clear. Somehow, he's managed to find the one, surefire way to make her cry. Kate tries to wipe away the tears before he can see them, but they're obvious enough.]
I'm sorry.
I'm sorry.
[It's not quite a perfect response, but the attempt helps, anyway. Really, she doesn't know what she wants to hear right now. Kate scrubs her hands over her face, pulling in another unsteady breath.]
What do you need me to do? How can I help?
[Actually, he might not even know, she thinks.]
What do you need me to do? How can I help?
[Actually, he might not even know, she thinks.]
Page 71 of 88