Safe (BatBoys)

Delirium

Jason's pov:

I lounge across the couch. It's now that I'm thankful I brought some alcohol. I'm not entirely drunk, but I'm definitely buzzed.

"Wait, so that happens to you then? Or it did?" Tim asks, slurring.

"Yep." I say, popping the P. He nods in contemplation.

"Do, uhm, do the dreams ever stop?" Cora asks quietly. She has her arms wrapped around herself. She looks so tiny like that.

"Mine haven't. But yours might. That's what this therapy stuff is for, right?" I try to be optimistic. She could use some optimism.

"Fair point." She says. I don't like how timid she looks. She's biting her lip like she's holding back from something.

"Cora, what on your mind?" I ask. The whole point is to talk. May as well prompt her a little.

"Well, you all get a lot of scars, right?" She asks. I nod as she looks around at us. "Do you ever hate any of them?" She asks quietly. I think back to the scar that use to adorn my chest, and the one on my calf.

"I do." I say.

"Yep." Tim pipes up.

"I don't mind them." Bruce states.

"I'm proud of mine." Tator tot says with a shrug.

"Huh, so it's okay if I don't like mine?" She questions timidly. If I could pour confidence on her and watch her grow, I would.

"Of course. Yours were forced upon you. We usually expect to get hurt when we go out." Tim says in a drawl. Now that's drunk. He can't handle his alcohol.

"Okay. Then, I think I might want to keep one." She says, a little bit to herself it seems.

"That's your choice. Why though?" I question. She looks down at her hands, her fingers twiddling.

"I don't like how many there are and there's one I can't get rid of fast enough. But, I also survived. And I did it with a smile." She says proudly. I grin at her.

"And you gave him hell. Don't forget that part." I say, pointing at her. She smiles to herself.

"Yeah, I did. I don't like remembering details, but I can at least remember that." She says. Now that's the confidence I like her to have.

"If you don't I'll remind you. Especially since it gives short stack a heart attack." I say with a smirk at Damian. He's not so bad when Cora's around, but I won't ever tell him that.

"I simply don't enjoy thinking about what he did to you because of it. I'm proud that you were as strong as you were." He says, looking towards Cora.

"Were?" Cora asks with a smirk, but her voice comes out weak. Demon brat's eyes widen.

"You still are." He says quickly. "I only meant that it was a moment of heightened strength." He explains in a rush. Aww he's flustered.

"Dami, it's fine. I don't feel very strong anyways." Cora says with a shrug. I frown at that.

"Aren't you still beating him with your sparring tallies?" I ask.

"And getting top grades." B pipes up.

"And you gained a wit sharp enough to keep Demon spawn in check." Tim adds.

"You're also actually putting effort into sober therapy. That's something none of us did." Bat Brat puts in. I need to come up with better nicknames.

"That doesn't mean I'm strong though. That's just normal things that I do. I'm not any stronger for them. And Damian is only a few tallies away from beating me." She says, holding her hands up in surrender.