Demons

Chapter 13: Tear Down the Walls

"It's really none of their business to pry into us," Damian replied, an edge to his voice. I smiled, thinking how this is what Damian was really like. Not the calm, collected person I'd been spending most of the morning with. His aggressive personality would always make its way to the surface. But I didn't mind. Damian was a fighter, and it made him all the more precious in my eyes. The sound of his soft sigh brought me out of my musings. I could feel the reverberation of his deep intake of breath with my ear still pressed against his chest. "But it's very disconcerting to hear what Grayson truly thinks of me. That he cares for me, however idiotic that may be, makes me feel uncomfortable for treating him so poorly this past few years."

Damian's hand had stopped moving up and down my shoulder, but was now firmly clutching onto my waist, as if he was afraid that his admission would drive me away. Opening my eyes, I also traced idle drawings on his stomach. "I don't think it's idiotic to care for you," I murmured. Looking up, I could see his green eyes watching me, and I stared into them as I added. "I care about you. Does that make me an idiot too?"

In the silence of the room, it was easy to hear Damian's sharp intake of breath. The shock on his face was priceless, and his reaction made it seem like I had somehow struck him. A frown made its way onto my face, worried I had pushed him too far, or that I gave away too much. But upon seeing my expression, Damian's features softened and he smiled down at me. "I'm sorry," he apologized as he brought his other hand up to caress my cheek and smoothen out my sulky expression. "I wasn't prepared to hear you say that to me, of all people. Then again, I should be used to it by now, considering you always take me by surprise."

Though his words somewhat relieved me, I still narrowed my eyes at him and tried not to let his touch distract me. "You didn't answer my question," I pointed out impatiently.

"Perhaps," Damian reluctantly said, turning his eyes towards the ceiling as he did so. "Perhaps it's idiotic of you to care for someone like me."

"You really know how to sweep a girl of her feet, Wayne," I replied, my voice dripping with sarcasm. I wiggled out of his grasp, and Damian looked at me in panic, thinking I was about to storm off. But I simply turned on my stomach, my elbows propped below me, so that I could look at his face as we continued our serious conversation. Softening my tone, I asked. "Why do you feel so... unworthy? Why do you think it's so stupid for us to care for you? Someone like you? What does that mean?"

I searched his face as I asked these questions, hoping for an inkling or clue as to what might be going on in his head. Reading his mind would've been so much easier than reading his emotions, but from the way apprehension began to roll off of him, I could tell we had reached a topic he was unenthusiastic to talk over. Then again, Damian seemed to feel like that about most things. "I'm not good at this Rachel," he finally said as he also pushed himself up, his back resting against the wall behind the bed. He gestured with his hands between the two of us. "I never had anyone to do this with. To talk to. To be affectionate with. My mother and grandfather saw it as a weakness. And my father doesn't know anything about it, having grown up with only Pennyworth. I suspect it also has something to do with the fact that he's consumed by his mission. There was never anyone to show me what it was like to care for someone else. I don't know how to-"

There was so much distress on his youthful face that it broke my heart to hear him say more, so I leaned forward and pressed my lips against his, putting an end to his fretting. Damian relaxed into the kiss, his hands coming up to cup my cheeks as he returned the sentiment. I pulled away before we could get sidetracked and forget about our conversation. "We'll figure it out," I reassured him with a confident smile. "I'm a quick study. How about you?"

"You always know the right thing to say. How do you do that?" he asked with a shake of his head. There was disbelief in his eyes.

"I can also read your mind," I joked with a wink, before laughing and rolling over to lie on my back again. This time, my head rested under the crook of his neck. "I'm just trying to be positive. Hopeful."