Two Great Minds Think Alike

4

*Bree*

I stood outside Damian's room. I knocked once.

"Go away." I heard the muffled voice inside say.

"Damian, it's Bree, can I come in?"

"No. Leave me alone." I could hear small sniffles.

"Alright, I'll come in." I said and opened the door. What I saw was not expected. Damian was curled up into a ball on his bed. His eyes were red and there were faint tear tracks on his cheeks. I sat down beside him.

"I said to leave me alone." Damian mumbled.

"Well, as your big sister, I can't do that. You're upset Damian, and I want to help. Was the talk about birthdays upsetting to you? You chose to talk about that."

"I just wanted to know when everyone's date of birth was. And after hearing that everyone in the room had one expect for me, I couldn't stand it anymore." Damian said as he sat up.

"Can you tell me why?" I asked as I rubbed his back. 

"I don't have one. I was not actually born. Mother, after she spent that night with Father, put my single cell into an artificial womb. Then she and Grandfather used technology to grow me. They grew a child in less than nine months. So I'm not really a human." Damian sobbed.

"Damian, look at me. You are still human whether or not you were conceived or grown. You still have the ability to think, have emotions and make decisions." I told him. He nodded.

I noticed that something else was bothering him.

"Damian, something else is bothering you. What is it?"

"I can't say."

"Whatever is the matter? You can tell me." I urged him. Damian sighed.

"Why is it that Father loves everyone but me? I do my best to please him, yet he pushes me away? Is it because I'm his child with Talia?" He asked. My heart melted at this. Here is a boy who was trained to be a warrior, yet he is still a child underneath that tough shield.

"No, Damian. Dad does love you. He just has a hard time showing it. And he didn't even know you existed until a year ago. He's still warming up to you, but if you ask me, he's going too slow about it."

"But what about the fact that I am the product of a one night stand? A child from a short term relationship? Mother drugged Father in order to get me."

"Dad doesn't love you any less than he loves me. He loves me because I am his first born. He love you because you are his second born. He doesn't care that you came from a drugged fun night. He will always love you because you are his son. Sure, he's not happy with where you came from but you share his blood and that makes you his son. I'll tell you a secret. There were times when I was younger where I felt that Dad didn't love me. Why? He was always either at work, or on patrol. Very rarely did I spend time with him. He rarely said I love you and came to events at school. But he showed his love for me by being there when I really needed him. When I had nightmares, he would rush to be by my side. When I broke my leg, he made my school allow me to use the elevators, which were made only for deliveries. And he was there when I took down my first goon." I shared.

"So he showed his love through his actions? Kind of like when he refused to let me go on patrol when I had gotten shot for the first time?" Damian asked. I nodded.

"If you look closely, his face showed no emotion, but his eyes shone with worry, sadness, and disappointment. He was worried that you might not make it that night because the bullet went in deep. He was sad because you had gotten hurt. He was disappointed in himself, rather than with you, though he made it sound that it was your fault. No, he was upset at himself for not watching you more closely. He didn't fend off the goons that had shot you. And most importantly, you got hurt under his watch. He's only like that around you and me." I explained.