seen this film before. didnât like the ending (part 2)
pairing | platonic batfam x bat!sis!reader
summary | damian and you are trapped by the joker. so will batman be able to catch up on time this time..?
warnings | angst, injury, about death, ptsd, y/n is mentioned as a female
authors note | a second episode that isn't too long. i still hope you like it
also votes and reblogs appreciate
Your eyes were closed, your breathing steady but weak. At that moment, you were unaware of anything happening in the world. But someone was watching you from just beyond the glass: Damian.
The others stayed further back in the clinic hallway, yet they too could see your body sleeping, marked by bruises, through the glass.
Finally, Damian broke the deadly silence of the corridor.
âWhat are you going to do with Joker next?â Before Bruce could respond, he added, âYouâre not just going to lock him up in Arkham and leave him there again, are you?â His eyes left you for the first time as he spoke.
He glanced at his father for a moment. Bruce said nothing, but Damian had already received enough of an answer from the silence.
âSo youâre just going to lock him in Arkham. Fantastic.âÂ
His sarcastic tone prompted Dick to intervene before he said something he shouldnât. Straightening up from the wall he leaned against, he tried to sound like a small child:
âD, donât think about this nowââ
Damian cut him off.
âDonât think about what, Grayson? That man, despite everything heâs done, still walks around unpunished. For years.â
âOur job isnât to punish them, Damian, itâs to hand them over to justice.â When Bruce finally spoke, Damian rolled his eyes.
âBelieve me, justice doesnât work on Joker. Weâve seen that already.â
When Damian noticed Bruce was about to intervene, he raised his hand, stopping him quickly:
âHe killed Todd, and you did nothing. You just locked him in Arkham. He escaped, killed again. You caught him again and âhanded him over to justice,â guess what happened?â
âHe escaped again. This time he almost killed my sister. And you didnât even take a single step forward. That man can still threaten her with ease, and you do nothing.â
By the end of his words, Damian was unconsciously stepping toward his father, while Bruce stayed silent, letting him release his anger. No one except Dick even tried to intervene.
Jason thought the boy had a valid point. Even if he hadnât said it aloud to Bruce in a long time, his anger toward Joker still burned inside him. And he knew it would never truly fade.
Tim, on the other hand, was exhausted. He didnât have the energy to step between father and son. These arguments happened often, and he had anticipated todayâs explosion, so he just continued watching you from where he was.
âDamian, I know youâre angry, but this isnât the time. Do you think Bruce wanted this?â Dick asked. Damian rolled his eyes.
âI didnât say that, Grayson. Donât twist my words. Iâm just saying Joker shouldnât be let free.â
Finally, Bruce rose from his chair and approached his son:
âWeâll talk about this again when youâre calmer, Damian.â His hand lightly brushed Damianâs shoulder.
Damian didnât pull away from the touch but nodded.
âMy feelings about Joker wonât change. No matter what.â
The hospital room lights were dim, and the soft beeps from the monitors punctuated the silence. Damian sat with his arms crossed, shoulders tense.
His gaze was locked on your face. Occasionally, it drifted to the monitor, as if checking your breathing.Â
Even though your vital signs were stable, the fact that you still hadnât woken up scared himâthough he wouldnât admit it. Damian Wayne Al Ghul, was afraid for the first time.
As a child, he had never run into his motherâs arms fearing monsters under the bed, but now, he wanted to.
But unsurprisingly, his mother wasnât here.Â
Only his father, whose presence they had learned about years later, was.
His thoughts were pounding. Or maybe it was just exhaustion. The hospital room door creaked open slightly, and without waiting for a response, Alfredâs head appeared through the gap.
âMaster Damian, you should rest and go home. Gotham isnât waiting for you to catch up.â
âThis is my home,â Damian thought. Then, without raising his head, he replied with a single word:
âIâm not leaving.â
Alfred took a deep breath, approaching him cautiously, hesitant to touch him.
âEven father went on patrol, right?â
âYes, but thisââ
âHe goes, I donât.â
The determination in his eyes made Alfred realize it was pointless to argue further. Still, in a gentle voice, he continued:
âIf anything happens, Iâll let you know. But you need to close your eyes and rest properly, sir. Youâre exhausted to the point of collapse.â
Damian murmured in a low voice:
âWhat if she wake up and donât see me by her side? Iâm staying here.â
Alfred paused for a moment before nodding slightly and leaving the room, closing the door silently.
That night, Damian stayed upright in his chair, resisting sleep. He leaned toward you occasionally to check your breathing. His fingers brushed yours lightly, and when he felt your warmth still there, he relaxed slightly.Â
He wouldnât rest until he saw you awake.
By early morning, Bruce had returned from patrol and was dressed in regular clothes. He found himself in Dr. Leslieâs clinic. Sitting in the chair by the window, the two shared a moment of silence.
Father and son had sworn a silence together. Damianâs eyes were only on your sickbed, though Bruceâs fleeting glances occasionally found him.
Bruce Wayne, known for his confidence, felt unsure even to start a conversation with his youngest son. He knew Damian was only acting out of tension and anger, and wasnât taking it out on anyone elseâbut still wondered if there was a shred of rightness in the boyâs feelings.
Your eyelids resisted opening as if weighed down. The first thing that reached your ears was the slow, rhythmic beeping of the monitors through a loud ringing. Your throat was dry, and even breathing caused slight pain in your chest.
Slowly, as you opened your eyes, the harsh white lights of the ceiling hurt them. You blinked several times until your surroundings gradually became clear.
Beside you, Bruce sat. His dark suit wrinkled, his tie loosened. Elbow on the armrest, chin resting in his hands. Lines etched deep into his faceâtraces of sleeplessness and worry.
Next to him, Damian sat in a chair, neck slightly forward, arms crossed. Trying to stay stiff, but his eyelids drooped from exhaustion.
Noticing your movement, Damianâs head shot up, eyes fixed on you. â(Y/N)âŚâ he whispered, his voice softer and lower than usual.
With that sound, Bruceâs gaze also found yours. He rose immediately and approached, expression stern as ever:
âYou scared me.â His voice low, serious.
Damian stepped forward toward you. His expression seemed to want to say something, yet every time he opened his mouth, it closed again. He swallowed, turning his head. Words werenât his strength, emotions even less so.
When your lips parted, the only word you could manage was:
âWaterâŚâ Your voice raspy.
Bruce wasted no time, bringing a sip from the bedside cup to your lips. His hands, careful and tentative as if handling a fragile porcelain doll, kept your head upright. His gaze never left yours.
âNo patrols until youâre fully healed,â Bruce said, putting the glass back and folding his arms, showing he didnât want this to be an argument later.
âAnd even when you are healed, you wonât go anywhere alone for a while. Understood?â
Before you could protest, Damian interjected:
âFather is right.â
It was as if he wasnât the same boy who had argued with his father days ago. He added shortly after:
âYou are my family. I wonât let this happen again.â
His voice was soft, barely audible, but both of you heard it. A slight tremor at the end was noticeable.
The room fell silent. The rhythmic beeping of the monitor, the drip of the IVâŚ
No one wanted to break the silence. But Bruceâs large, calloused hand reached out and carefully ruffled your hair.Â
As if silently thanking you for being alive, proud of you.
Soon, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway. Seconds later, the door opened. First in was Dick, holding a large cup of coffee. His dark shirt was plain, hair messy, as if heâd rushed here.
Seeing you, he froze for a few seconds, then a small smile tugged at his lips. He quickly reached your side.
âYouâre awakeâŚâ His warm older-brother tone filled the room. He set the coffee on the table and leaned slightly toward you.
âDonât ever scare me like this again, okay, little bird?â He tried to make it sound like a warning, but it only came off as gentle.
You wanted to laugh, but you werenât sure you could. So you just smiled faintly.
âCanât promise,â you whispered.
Not long after, Tim entered. He had files in his hand and, unsurprisingly, a coffee as well. Seeing you, he set everything down on the table near the door.
âI spoke to the doctor about your condition. He said you should wake soon,â he said, lowering his voice, âAlso, if you even think about putting yourself in danger like this again, Iâll chain you. Same goes for you, Damian. Iâm not joking.â
âTry it, Drake,â Damian said, his challenging voice narrowing his eyes at Tim.
You felt the need to intervene.
âActually, Dad planned this. Also, can you ease up on the overprotection a bit? If you push too hard, Iâm afraid itâll be impossible to go on patrol again.â
âThat doesnât sound too bad,â said Jason, who had entered last.Â
He paused in the doorway, eyes scanning you head to toe. Hidden anger lay beneath his eyes, but also a glint of relief.
Normally, Jason couldnât stay serious for long, but now he was almost silent. His expression was graver than usual.
âYou fit the bed⌠just this once,â he said, walking slowly to stand behind Damian. âNext time, no one will find you like this. I wonât allow it.â
You remained silent. You didnât even need to speak; just their presence and the fact that you were still here was enough.
A week later, when you were discharged, returning to the manor was relatively quiet. Bruce made no public statement, and Alfred escorted you straight to your room.
During the first few nights, Damian would go to his room, but in the early hours youâd notice the door creak open. Silent footsteps moved across the room, settling at the edge of your bed, waiting a few seconds before curling silently under the blankets.
This used to happen occasionally. Sleeping together wasnât unfamiliar. But this time it became a routine.
A routine neither of you voiced aloud. The other family members had noticed Damian was often absent from his room, but no one cared.
Sometimes he murmured in his sleepâhis usually furrowed brows remained knitted even in slumber. He unconsciously held you tightly.
A few times, you saw him wake in sweatâclearly from a nightmare. But he never spoke of them, about what or who. When asked, he would simply say, âKeep sleeping, itâs fine.â
One night, well past midnight, you awoke with aches. You must have forgotten your last painkiller. Looking at the nightstand, you met an empty cup, frowning as you propped yourself up.
At the far end of the large bed, Damian slept, wrapped in the blankets like a life preserver. He was in a deep sleep, his face finally appearing relaxed after days.
His furrowed brows softened; his face bore the innocence of a child. You gave him a small smile. Finally, he could rest.
Even if he never spoke of his nightmares, you could tell from his murmursâand you hated seeing him blame himself.Â
He was your brother; he didnât have to be your guardian. Being your brother was enough.
Exhaling silently, you carefully got out of bed, your feet moving softly across the cold floor. The chill was momentarily jarring, but still pleasant.
When you went downstairs to the kitchen, you saw a large figure at the counter, back turned. Jason was pouring a glass of milk. Black T-shirt, hair slightly messy. He turned when he heard your footsteps.
Seeing you, he raised an eyebrow slightly.
âGetting milk at three in the morning, little bat?â You leaned on the counter with a faint smile. âJust getting water. What are you doing here?â
Without asking, he retrieved a glass from the cupboard and poured water from the bottle.
âCanât sleep. My mind⌠a little busy,â he said, handing you the glass.
After murmuring a quiet thanks, a silence settled. The only sound in the kitchen was the rhythm of Jasonâs fingers tapping the counter.
Finally, you broke the silence.
âYou thinking about him? About what happened?â Even after knowing Jason for years, your voice was cautious on this subject.
Even if you knew what Joker did to Jason, youâd never heard him speak of it directlyâonly overheard from Dick. Youâd never dared to ask.
Jason glanced at you, his eyes lingering on the bruises on your face before looking away.
âIf I said no, you wouldnât believe me, right?â
You nodded. âYes.â
He exhaled and set the half-full glass down.
âThis isnât a topic I enjoy discussing. What happened, happened. I died, came back. Iâve moved on.â
âDoesnât sound like youâve really moved on.â You added after a pause. âAnd you donât have to move on, you donât have to be strong.â
Jason glanced at you.
âIs that why, when you wake from nightmares, you throw yourself onto the balcony to hide? Youâre playing the tough, fearless kid. Trust me, we notice.â
You stayed silent for a few seconds. Once again, you hated being in a house surrounded by outlaws. They always knew the little things you thought went unnoticed. You included.
Apparently, nothing could be hidden in this family.
âYou got me. But you canât escape by pointing arrows at me.â
âAlright, little detective, let me go now. Does it still hurt?â Jason had evaded the subject, but you didnât press. If he wasnât ready, you wouldnât upset him over his trauma.
So you adapted.
âA little. But itâll pass.â
Jason tilted his head slightly, looking at you. âSometimes you annoy me, but Iâm glad to see you okay, little devil.â
For a brief moment, you frowned.
âHow many more names are you going to give me?â He shrugged before taking another sip of milk.
âI donât think any of them are wrong.â
âYouâre annoying, Todd. Goodnight.â You started to leave when Jason put a hand on your shoulder to stop you. His arms wrapped around you, pulling you close to his chest. You froze.
It was sudden. And embraces, apart from the occasional ones with Damian, werenât something you were used toâexcept for Dickâs random stickiness, which you mostly didnât consider real hugs.
But it was less uncomfortable than you expected; even comforting. Short but tightânot too long, but warm.
Finally, you pulled away without meeting his eyes. Jason, without speaking, tilted his head slightly.
âGo upstairs. If Damian wakes and doesnât find you beside him, heâll wake the entire manor.â
You gave a tiny, almost imperceptible smile and nodded. As you returned, you saw Jason still leaning on the counter, finishing his milk.
When you went upstairs, Damian was still in deep sleep, one arm stretched toward the side of the bed where you should be, unknowingly seeking your warmth. When you you curled up beside him, his arm instinctively wrapped around your waist, seeking the warmth he had been missing.
Your last thoughts before sleep took you were simple but profound: none of you would ever be alone again.
@invinciblewaffles @rebeccawinters