Just Robin one shots

Did we forget something?

I'm thinking of doing a Peter and Tony book because my angst powers aren't limited to Batman apparently.

Taking a break from the falling apart series (don't worry it's still being written, planning the ending now) so here's some pure angst to tie you over.

Trigger warning for self-harm. I'll tell you where to skip if you want to read the story but not the self-harm part.

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/self-harm/useful-contacts/

https://www.benice.org/get-help/crisis-hotline

https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/if-youre-having-difficult-time/if-you-want-self-harm/

Odd. That was the word Damian used to describe Dick today. He was odd. Now Dick was normally an odd person in his eyes. He always tried to stay happy even when it was clear that there was no hope. His bones clicked a lot but Damian put that down to him being an acrobat. Dick was an odd person. Yet today he was odd. Odd in a bad way. Odd in a way that made Damian feel a little sick with concern though he didn't voice it. He didn't want to. Maybe he should've. The first sign that suggested that Dick was being odd was the look on his face at breakfast. Normally Damian would be greeted by that insufferable smile that was somehow endearing but not today. It was gaunt and tired, his blue eyes glassy with tears. A frown tugged at the sides of his mouth. At first, Damian assumed he got ill from patrolling in the rain the night before and thought nothing of it. That theory was soon disproved when not one cough or sniffle came out of the man.

Damian took note of the uneaten breakfast in front of Dick but chose not to say anything about it. "I want to start training early today. Jon has requested my appearance at the local park. It appears he wants to strengthen our bond as friends," Damian stated. He expected the usual joke about the pair dating secretly or perhaps a congratulation on actually socialising. What he got was a silent nod. That was the second sign that Dick was being odd. Silent. That was a word that didn't match Dick. If you were to describe Dick to someone who'd never heard of him, the one adjective you wouldn't use is silent. He could be quiet when needed but you'd normally find him humming a tune or lightly tapping the desk. Damian gave up waiting for a response as Alfred collected his plate. "I'll be in the training room waiting for you," he announced. Dick nodded again. On his way out, he overheard Alfred asking if Dick would be okay today. He didn't catch Dick's response. 

He didn't have to wait long for Dick to join him in the training room. They started out training independently when Damian noticed the slowness in his partner's punches. The punches still had a good weight to them, enough to knock out a criminal Damian assumed, but they weren't normal. Not normal for Dick. That was his third sign that Dick was being odd. This time he felt a certain worry bubble in his stomach. He wasn't trying to make it obvious that he was watching Dick so closely but his eyes must've burned through the older as he spared Damian a glance. "What's wrong?" Dick croaked, darting his eyes back to the punching bag. Typical. He knew the concerned attention was on him so he flipped it. Damian noticed that if the attention wasn't to praise him or positive in any other way, Dick didn't want it. "I could ask you the same thing. You're not normally one to skip breakfast," he replied. The punching paused for a second, maybe more, but Damian noticed it. That was the fourth sign Dick was being odd. He hesitated to continue. A nerve was struck. Which nerve Damian had struck he didn't know. All he knew was that Dick was hurting. "Just some personal stuff, don't let it bother you," he said. In response, Damian tutted. "It's not me who's letting it bother them," he muttered. Personal stuff, as Dick described it, wasn't normally something he struggled to talk about. They'd spent a few late nighters talking about what fears they saw when they were hit with fear gas or particularly horrifying torture sessions. Sometimes there were a few terrifying experiences mixed in if conversation fell to an uncomfortable lull. Damian knew a lot of personal things about Dick and Dick knew a lot of personal things about Damian. They were close. That's why Damian hated this moment. This moment showed they weren't as close as he wanted. It showed they could be closer.