Falling

Chapter 16 part 2: Tapes

For the first time in years, I didn't want to run.

I just wanted to rest.

And in that quiet circle of warmth, with Damian's arms wrapped around me and the ghosts of the past finally laid bare, I let myself believe—for just a moment—that maybe I was safe now.

That maybe... they could help me heal.

———

Damian's POV

She fell asleep with her face tucked into my neck.

Her breaths were uneven, shaky at first—still choked with leftover tears. But as the minutes passed, they started to even out. I could feel it against my collarbone, the tiny puff of warmth every time she exhaled. The tension in her arms loosened, but she never let go.

Not once.

Her hands were fisted in the fabric of my shirt like I was her lifeline.

And maybe I was.

I didn't move.

Didn't breathe more than I had to.

The others didn't speak at first. We all just sat there in the dimly-lit basement, the flickering monitor now dark, the room colder than it had any right to be.

Finally, Jason broke the silence. His voice was low and tight. "We're taking her with us."

Tim nodded. "Obviously."

"She can't stay here," Dick added. "Not after this. She doesn't have anyone else."

"She has us," I said sharply. My voice came out harsher than I intended, and Aria shifted slightly in my arms. I instinctively tightened my grip, brushing my fingers through her tangled hair until she calmed.

Jason gave me a sideways glance. "You volunteering to tell her?"

"I want to."

They raised their eyebrows.

Tim smiled faintly. "Didn't even hesitate."

"I don't need to. She doesn't belong in this house anymore. She never did. It's a graveyard."

Dick leaned back against the wall. "Do you think she'll come with us?"

"She's scared," I admitted. "But not of us. She's just never had someone to go with."

"She trusts you," Jason said. "You saw the way she clung to you. You're the only one who could've pulled her out of that hell without her panicking."

I looked down at her. Her face was pressed against my chest, lips parted slightly in sleep, lashes wet with tears. Even now, there was a furrow in her brow, like part of her was still trapped in a nightmare she couldn't escape.

"She shouldn't have had to survive like this," Dick muttered, rubbing a hand over his face.

"No," Tim agreed. "But she did. And now she gets to live."

Silence fell again. This time, it wasn't heavy. It was thoughtful. Warm. Like the pieces of something new settling into place.

"She can have my room," Jason offered after a minute. "Or Dick's. His is bigger."

"Wow. Thanks," Dick said flatly.

"Or," Tim cut in, smirking, "maybe she can share with Damian. Since he's clearly not moving."

I didn't dignify that with a response.

Because they were right.

I wasn't moving.

She had finally stopped trembling, finally stopped crying. And her fingers still wouldn't release my shirt. Her body was curved against mine like she fit there—like maybe she'd been waiting her whole life to feel like this.

Safe.

Wanted.

"Tomorrow," I said. "I'll ask her tomorrow."

"She'll say yes," Jason said.

"She'll say yes to you," Dick clarified.

Tim smirked. "Let's just make sure she knows it's a real choice. Not an obligation."

"It's not," I said firmly. "It's a chance."

They nodded.

After a moment, Jason stood and pulled off his jacket, tossing it over the edge of the couch where I was sitting with Aria. Then he stretched out on the floor nearby, arms crossed behind his head.

Dick laid out his hoodie for a pillow and settled beside him.

Tim curled up against the opposite wall, blanket from the upstairs couch draped over him.

And I stayed right where I was, with Aria curled tightly in my lap, her heartbeat finally starting to calm beneath my hands.

One of her legs shifted in her sleep, tucking beneath mine. Her cheek pressed into my shoulder.

She sighed. Soft. Trusting.

And I knew then that I'd burn this entire house down before I let anything touch her again.

Tomorrow, I'd ask her.

Tomorrow, we'd take her home.

Tonight, we'd keep her warm.

And I'd stay right here... until she was ready to wake up.

⸻