Chapter 19: Stitches and Scars

Its been two weeks since Damian was placed into the recuperation wing. The process of recovery was slow, but despite this he has made significant progress considering what he endured.

Jon's visits definitely helped, most were spent watching movies together or playing video games. But today.. well, today was different.

Damian shifted violently in his sleep, sweat dripping down the side of his cheek, he was having a nightmare. Visions of a life long passed flashed before his eyes, a figure dressed in all black snuck behind the huts of a small village, maneuvering expertly between the shadows as the flames of the campfires danced in the chilling cold.

The figure began to unsheath a small blade, the sound muffled by both the howling wind and laughter of the villagers. The figure moved expertly between the shadows, using his small stature to his advantage. Using one hand to slit the throat and the other to muffle the shrieks of pain, the figure began to paint and create art. The blade was his brush and the village his canvas.

When he was finished, not a single man, woman or child remained standing. None but the figure. Snow painted in red, he stood surrounded by the bodies of his targets. The night was silent, save for the last campfire, the sound of burning wood still radiating a distinct crackle. The figure sheathed his sword and was quickly joined by another.

The second figure was tall, dressed similarly to the first. Approaching from behind, she took off her hood, and placed a hand on the other's shoulder. Then she spoke.

"You've proven yourself a capable assassin." She begun. A smirk finding it's place on her lips.

"Rise, Damian." She commanded her son. Damian obliging, taking off his mask, revealing the face of a young child. No older than six or seven.

"From this day forward, my son. You have earned the name Al-ghul. Damian Al-ghul. Son of the demon." She spoke, caressing her son's cheek.

"Thank you, mother." Damian answered bluntly.

"Wear the name with pride, my son." She said, walking away. Stepping over the corpses of Damian's latest victims.

"I shall." Damian felt a smile grow in his face until.. an all too familiar voice called out to him.

"D-damian..?" The voice called out.

Damian immediately turned around.

"Damian.. why did you.. how could you?!" Jon spoke, dressed in the rags of one of the viage's younglings. Laying on the on the snow in a pull of blood.

"Jon!" Damian shouted, discarding his bloodied blade and black cloak as he ran to Jon. With each step he took he morphed into the Damian of present day, by the time he reached Jon gone were the black of the assassins. He was wearing the red, yellow and green of Robin.

"Jon.. no"

Damian collapsed to his feet, tears in his eyes. "I didn't.. I didn't mean to... I didn't know any better.." Damian said, his voice shakey, the tears breaking, streaming down his cheeks.

"And yet you did." Talia spoke, standing behind him. "You killed. Damian. Nothing you do can ever change that." She reminded him, a smirk on her lips.

Damian, with clenched fists and gritted teeth rose to his feet to face his mother.

"No! That isn't not me. Not anymore." He shouted.

Talia, unimpressed, crossed her arms over her chest. "That's not what he thinks." She said, pointing at Jon.

Damian turned to look, Jon was now his proper age. Floating a few inches above the frozen ground, his back turned to Damian, his hands covering his lips.

Damian shuddered at the thought of what Jon's face would be.. now that he saw.. what he really is..

"J-jon..?" Damian called out, reaching out to touch his boyfriend's shoulder.

"DON'T." Jon shouted, swatting Damian's hand away. Turning to face him.

"Don't.. touch me.." Jon said, tears streaming down his cheeks as he looked at the bodies piled around Damian.

"Jon I can explain. I-" Damian was cut off by Jon.

"HOW COULD YOU?! THESE WERE PEOPLE.. DAMIAN." He yelled at Damian, gesturing to the bodies surrounding him. "Now they're.. they're- dead!" Jon spat, horror in his eyes. As he began to fly away.

"Jon- Jon wait! Please!" Damian said, reaching out to him his cheeks marked with streaks of tears.

"I'm sorry, Damian.. I can't ever love someone.. like you" Jon's voice was cold and bitter, far colder than the howling wind around them.

Damian's heart shattered.. collapsing to his knees.

Talia's voice began to fill his head, whispering the words "You don't deserve him. He will never love you. You killed."

Damian tried to cover his ears to no avail, the whispers persisted before turning into screams. Damian clenched is eyes tightly shut. Letting out a pained cry, as loud as he could.

The whispers stopped.

He opened his eyes, to see Talia standing before him. A mirror at her side, Damian's gaze moved to the mirror and what he saw.. chilled him to the core. The figure stared back. A figure painted in blood. It was him. He killed. And he knee he could never escape that.

Talia smirked as Damian came to the conclusion, letting out a piercing near-demonic laugh before Damian finally woke up.

Damian shot up in bed, drenched in sweat. He struggled to catch his breath as his eyes darted across the room. He was back at Wayne Manor. In his room.

Reaching to touch his cheek he felt it was wet. Sweat perhaps? No. Tears.

"D-dami..?" Jon asked groggily, he had fallen asleep beside Damian, both sharing the bed.

Seeing Jon at his side Damian relaxed, until he felt a sharp pang of both pain and guilt hit his chest.

"You don't deserve him." Talia's voice rung through his head.

"Y-yeah.." Damian answered, throwing off his blankets he got off his bed. His bare feet touching the carpeted floor.

"Wait- where are you going?!" Jon asked, rubbing the sleep from his eyes as tried to look at Damian who was already at the door.

"Out." Damian said, slamming the door shut leaving a confused and worried superboy in his Pajamas.

Damian wandered the halls of the Wayne Manor, turning to look at one of the ornate wall clocks. The hand just struck 11. It was still night time, and seeing as the bat family are all seemingly pseudo nocturnal it was just him, superbly and Alfred.

Damian stood before one of the large windows of the mansion. Over looking the dreary city of gotham, watching as a storm raged outside. A bolt of lightning arced across the sky before the roar of thunder echoed throughout the city.

"Had a nightmare?"

Damian turned to look, seeing it was Jon. Still dressed in his pajamas, holding a tray with two cups and a tea pot.

"Go. Away." Damian said coldly, looking away. His mother's words. He finally believed her. He didn't deserve Jon. But he knew Jon wouldn't leave him, so he had to leave Jon. Although.. that was easier said than done.

Jon furrowed his brows, letting out a click sound not at all too different from Damian's iconic 'TT' but sounding more of curious than annoyed. Jon placed the tray down on a table. Flying out of the room, Damian let out a sigh of both relief and regret.

"Its.. for the best" Damian closed his eyes and reminded himself before feeling the warmth of a blanket being draped around his shoulders.

"Alfred?" Damian turned to look.

"Nope!" Jon said cheerily, his signature superboy smile on his face.

Damian fought back the blush threatening to creep onto his cheeks. "I said go, away, Kent." Damian tried to say coldly, he would have succeeded too if it were anyone but Jon he was trying to fool.

"Nah." Jon said bluntly, still hovering a few inches above the air.

"You know.." Jon began, pouring Damian a cup of hot chocolate before pouring one for himself.

"Hot coco always makes me feel better when I have nightmares... so uhm- here." Jon smiled goofily, offering Damian a cup.

Damian glanced down at the cup, but didn't dare look Jon in the eyes. Averting his gaze, he looked back out the window. "Can't you tell I don't want to talk to you?" He said coldly.

"Nope!" Jon said, crossing his legs as he hovered beside Damian. Taking a sip of the hot choco letting out a satisfied hum.

"But that's mostly cause I know you're not mad at me." Jon said, his eyes closed.

"TT. What?" Damian said, looking at Jon and raising a brow. Noting how Jon had a foam moustache, he thought it was utterly adorable. He couldn't fight back the blush.

"Yup. I know you can't be mad at me, so take your hot coco before I drink it." Jon said the last bit almost threateningly but in the most adorable way possible.

"That's.. quite a bold statement." Damian said.

"But it's true, isn't it?" Jon opened his eyes and turned to Damian, their eyes met and Damian's cheeks turned a dark shade of red.

Damian immediately turned away, keeping his eyes tightly shut. The blush still painfully obvious on his cheeks.

"Y-yeah..." Damian finally admitted.

Jon hummed happily and inched closer to Damian.

"Soooooo?" Jon asked

"So what?" Damian shot back.

"Mmmn?" Jon hummed, offering Damian a mug of hot choco.

"TT. Fine." Damian said, taking his mug.

"Thanks Dami!" Jon said, giving his a quick peck on the cheek. Just that was enough to send shivers up and down Damian's spine.

"Y-yeah." Damian stuttered.

"So, wanna tell me what's really bothering you?" Jon asked

"....." Damian stayed silent.

"Pretty please?" Jon asked

"....." Damian didn't reply.

"Pretty please with a cherry on top?" Jon asked, pleading with his patented superboy puppy eyes.

"Mmnh..." Damian looked at Jon. His heart beating faster. "Fine.." damian said, turning and making his way to one of the nearby couches.

Jon nodded happily, letting his feet touch the carpeted floor he followed his boyfriend to the couch.

Damian sat down and Jon tried to sit on his boyfriend's lap since hugging him always seemed to make Damian feel better.

"Not- not tonight... Jon.. not yet." Damian stopped his boyfriend before he could sit.

"Alright." Jon decided not to question, instead sitting right beside his boyfriend.

"So.. was it a nightmare..?" Jon asked, resting his head on his boyfriend's shoulder.

Damian paused for a moment. "Y-yeah.. kinda." He replied.

"Kinda?" Jon raised a brow.

"Yeah, I mean.. it's just... things.. things I did.. and things that my..." damian paused "mother.. told me."

Jon immediately sat up at the mention of Talia, crossing his legs he turned to Damian.

"Dami. What did your mother tell you?" Jon asked.

When Damian didn't answer, Jon asked again. This time touching his cheeks to they could face each other.

"Dami.. what did Talia tell you..?" Jon asked again, this time with more conviction.

"That.. I.. that you... that I don't.." Damian trailed off, his voice pained.

"Dami..?" Jon asked

"That I don't deserve you, Jon!" Damian said, turning to Jon, a single tear streaming down his left cheek.

Jon didn't know what to say. But he knew exactly what he had to do. Jon placed his mug down and wrapped Damian in a warm embrace.

Damian was taken by surprise, letting out a fee stifled whimpers as he felt his boyfriend bury his face in his shoulder.

"You know I love you right...?" Jon whispered sweetly.

"Y-yeah.." Damian responded, keeping his arms at his sides.

"Then why..? Why would you think that...?" Jon asked, still hugging Damian.

Damian stilled his voice, as he calmed himself. He didn't want to say it again so he had to be clear.

"Jon.. remember all those nights ago.. when you asked me why I didn't tell you how I feel sooner?" Damian asked.

"Yeah...? Why?" Jon asked.

"Its because.. I.. I know i don't deserve you." Damian admitted, his heart felt pained.. very pained.

"Damian.. you do! You do deserve me! And I deserve you! You're always so fun, and cool and smart and sweet and stuff! You're an amazing boyfriend! I couldn't ask for anyone better" jon exclaimed, before making their eyes meet once more so Damian knows he means it.

"No Jon. I don't... I- I've killed before. I have red on my ledger, Jon. Nothing I do can ever change that." Damian said, feeling disgusted with himself.

Jon sighed, placing his hand on Damian's chin. Making him meet his eyes.

"Hey, that doesn't mean I can't look past that.. you didn't know any better, Dami. The league twisted your mind and broke your spirit.. but now that you're free. You've shown that you're good. And that you're deserving of not just my love.. but also your own forgiveness. I love you Damian Wayne. Nothing will ever change that" Jon said, his voice sweeter than the hot chocolate he made and twice as warm.

Damian paused, he never thought Jon would accept him for who he really is. Yet here he is, love in his eyes, arms around him. Damian finally smiled and hugged back.

"You mean it?" Damian asked.

"Yup! And I'm willing to prove it." Jon said confidently.

"Prove it? How're you gonna do that?" Damian asked.

Jon smiled and kissed his boyfriend lovingly, the other letting a light moan at the contact.

Jon broke the kiss and touched Damian's cheek lovingly. "I can think of a few ways." Jon said, sweetly as he turned on his phone and showed Damian his invitation to the League's annual ball.

"The gala..? Jon, all of the leaguers will be there. That include both our fathers." Damian asked, raising a brow.

"I know, and I don't care." Jon admitted, kissing his boyfriend's hand.

"Are you sure...? Are you ready..?" Damian asked.

"Yup! I am, if you are Dami! So long as you're with me, we can face anything!" Jon exclaimed, wrapping his arms around Damian's neck.

Damian blushed hard, and so did Jon. "You're impossibly adorable, you know that?" Damian asked.

Jon blushed, it was his turn to be at a loss for words. Damian smirked and took the opportunity, bombarding his boyfriend's face with kisses, causing Jon to giggle uncontrollably.

Jon found himself laying on Damian, their arms wrapped around each other in a warm embrace. Both boys blushing a deep shade of red.

"I love you Jon.." Damian said uncharacteristically sweet, as he buried his face in his boyfriend's chest.

Jon giggled and tightened his hug on his bestfriend and boyfriend.

"I love you too Dami.. so so much."

A/N: Heyo, Jason here. Yay finally updated, wooh. This story has been super fun to write, I'm really hoping you guys are enjoying it! But sadly, the next chapter will probably be the last with an epilogue after. But hey, all good things must come to an end, right? -Jason

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