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Damian is six years old when his mothers pet project collapses on the hotel room floor, gasping in pain.
When Jason Todd was assigned as Damian's chaperone on missions he was livid. Did mother not think him capable? But Damian soon realized that it was a mutual arrangement. Todd was there to watch Damian and Damian was there to ground Todd. It made missions much easier. However, this situation was new.
Todd had been antsy and irritated all day, almost to the point of running the mission by taking the target out too early. When they reached the hotel room Damian had prepared to lecture the fifteen year old boy when he suddenly dropped to the floor clutching his stomach. Damian had tried to get Todd to speak coherently but the effort was futile. So he called his mother.
“Ah. He’s presenting.”
“Presenting?”
“Yes darling. He will likely continue to suffer from the cramps for the next three to four days. I’ll have to extend your vacation stay.” she mused distractedly.
Damian's mood soured further.
“Is there nothing that can be done?”
His mother is silent for a moment before speaking softly.
“Well خفاش صغير (little bat) you have access to the credit card. A weighted blanket and snacks should get him through the next few days easier. Keep him fed and hydrated. Buy a few extra blankets as well. I’m sure he’ll start nesting soon.”
Damian is now sitting at the table and scrolling through a delivery app. He’s about to thank his mother when Todd starts whining from the floor. Damian snaps his head to where Todd is lying and finds lazarus green eyes staring at him. Todd makes another whining sound followed by a few chirps.
“Mother, I do not understand what he is asking for.” Damian says stiffly into the receiver. He has no doubt his mother's exponential hearing picked up Todd's cries.
“I believe he wants to cuddle with you dear.” his mother explains with no small amount of amusement.
“Grandfather said-”
“My father has not felt the willing touch of his family in many years, my son. Go and hug Todd, he will not stop calling for you until you do.”
Damian still has his eyes locked on Todds as he closes the laptop and hops down from the table. He walks slowly over to Todd and when he is within grabbing distance Todd yanks him to the floor and wraps him up in a warm, bone crushing, all consuming hug. He starts purring and Damian catches the slightest scent of gun powder.
His mother’s light laugh flows from the cell phone as she says “I will place the order for you two. He should be okay in a few days.”
She was silent for so long after that Damian had thought she hung up but when she speaks again it’s with a tone of voice that would send ordinary children into a crying fit.
“Damian, he will be unable to assist you should someone break in or otherwise harm the two of you. First heats are the worst of the worst. It will not always be that way but this one time you are to protect him with your life do you understand?” she said, voice laced with worry and slight threat.
Damian squares his shoulders then relaxes again when Todd whines.
“Yes mother.”
______________________________________________________________
Damian is fourteen when he presents during the middle of patrol.
His temper has flared in a way he has never felt, his muscles are itching to hit something with killing intent, and his whole body feels like it’s on fire. So he, for the first time since he came to live with his father, ditches patrol and goes straight to Todd's most secure safe house.
He barely has the forethought to put the place on lock down before he strips out of the suit. He steals a pair of red basketball shorts and a black T-shirt before making his way to the in-home gym and running the most grueling league drills he could think of.
He’s right in the middle of practicing katana swings when he has to drop the wooden sword to catch the water bottle flying at his head. He sets fierce emerald eyes on Jason who's leaning against the door frame with a bored expression.
“Drink that and then come to the kitchen. I have fried rice.”
Damian scowls as he twits the cap off the bottle. “I am not hungry.” He drains the water in four gulps.
Todd raises an eyebrow at him. “Yeah there's no way that's true. Do you know what time it is?”
Damian is about to retort back that of course he knows before he pauses. He has not checked the time since he started working out. He scowls harder.
“Didn’t think so. I’m not saying you can’t keep working out, I'm just saying you need a little food.”
“Fine.”
Todd had slipped a sleeping pill in his water. It would have angered Damian if he didn’t feel much better than before. He still works out for the next three days but he now has the mental fortitude to eat, drink, shower, and sleep when he’s meant to. He then sleeps for another day.
“Feeling better baby bat?” Todd asks the next morning.
“Yes. Thank you for allowing me to use your space.” Damian answers as he washes the dishes from last night.
“Don’t mention it brat but why did you come here? Dick is feeling left out. He won’t stop whining about it.”
Damian pauses his washing for half a second.
“......Your scent is most familiar. I felt safest here.”
The manor has several heat and rut rooms of different varieties, platonic, romantic, familial and everything in between, but none of them held the sharp scent of gunpowder with just a hint of snickerdoodles. None of them smelled like his first ever brother.
Damian finishes washing the last dish and turns to find Todd examining him closely. Whatever he sees causes him to nod his head determinedly, stalk forward, grab Damian's wrist, and sink his teeth into the scent gland there.
Damian hisses and almost pulls his wrist away but he halts. He can feel Jason’s emotions in a way he didn’t think possible. Surprise at Damian’s confession but also immense amounts of satisfaction and love.
When Jason pulls away and holds his own wrist out. Damian wasted no time in returning the sentiment. The moment his teeth break the skin he allows his emotions to flow into the newly formed bond. Love, safety, contentment.
Damian releases his brother's wrist and is immediately pulled into a hug.
“Bruce is gonna be pissed and Talia even more so but I don’t give a shit. I practically raised your little hellion ass and you will always be my first pup. My little brother. I love you so so much kid. I’m happy you feel safe here. With me.”
Damian doesn’t say anything. Just let the love he feels settle over both of them.
______________________________________________________________
Damian flew out to the Nanda Parbat to bond with his mother and then bonded with his father upon his return. Both bonding experiences were emotional in their own way but over within a few moments. They bit the glands on his wrist the same way Jason did. Mother immediately sent him home after congratulating him on presenting as an alpha.
“Not that I wouldn’t have loved you no matter how you presented.”
Damian will never admit how much that soothed him.
Father scented him after and then apologized because he was being called away on a justice league mission. Damian assured him he was not angry and even pushed the feeling through the bond.
Cassandra cornered him on his way to steal a car and bonded with him. Damian was incredibly embarrassed about the way his relief and elation flooded their bond when he returned the favor. She just giggled quietly and told him to drive safe on the way to Bludhaven.
Dick bonded within him, scented him, and then forced Damian to spend a few nights in his nest while they waited for father to come home.
“Richard. Can you bond with people outside of your family?” Damian asked one night.
Dick raised an eyebrow at him as he looked up from the word search he was doing. Damian felt curiosity tug at their bond and the sickly sweet scent of ripe cherries curled around him.
“Uh yeah? That's kind of how most marriages work Dami?”
Damian flushes red.
“No I mean- platonically.”
Dicks face softens and he moves to pull Damian into a hug.
“Yeah kiddo. Me and the Titans are all bonded together. Tim and Young Justice. Jay and the Outlaws. B and the original seven members of the JL too though he’ll deny it. Hell don’t tell B but Tim, Jay and I are platonically bonded to some villains.”
Damian lifts his head and narrows his eyes. “Who are you bonded with that's a villain?”
“Hm well Tim and I are both bonded to Ivy and Harley-”
Weird but not unexpected.
“-then all three of us have a bond with Catwoman-”
Even less unexpected. Damian doesn’t think Kyle even counts as a villain these days.
“-And then I’m bonded to Deathstroke and Tim is bonded with your grandfather.”
Well that's an unwise decision but Wilson has always had some sort of weird obsession with his brother-
Damian shoots up.
Drake is bonded with who now?
“WHAT”
Dick laughs.
______________________________________________________________
Damian bonds with Colin and they both pretend that they don’t feel the satisfaction it brings to their family bonds.
He calls Flatline and she comes to Gotham. They aren’t dating anymore but she’s still someone he loves dearly.
He tracks Conner Hawke to Star City and issues a challenge of submission. They sparred until one of their backs hit the pavement. Conner won the challenge so he bit Damian first. Damian was flooded with feelings of adrenaline and surprise. When Damian bit him back he made sure his emotions conveyed how much he cares about Conner. They haven’t known each other long but Damian relates to him in ways that the others don’t understand. That was good enough for him.
Duke Thomas bonds with him the next time he manages to make it for family dinner and Damian eventually catches Stephanie Brown and Barbara Gordon not too long after. Those three may not live at the manor but they are his siblings whether they like it or not.
Jon is slightly more complicated.
“Why won’t you bond with me?” Jon pouts at him while Damian attempts to pick the lock on the outside of the villain of the week's base.
“I have told you Jon it’s not that I won't, we just have to wait.”
“But you and Colin bonded right away!”
“Not right away. I bonded with most of my family first.” Damian mumbles as he finally gets the door open.
Jon floats into the room and blocks the doorway.
“Damian.”
Damian has to do several breathing exercises when he gets the smallest hint of Jon's fresh hay and strawberry scent.
“Jon, I just want us to wait awhile, that's all.”
Jon’s scent sours into moldy fruit and he turns away. “Fine. Whatever.”
Damian can feel his heart drop. “Jon-”
Before he can try to explain there are several goons shooting at them.
Dammit.
When the mission is over and Jon is flying him back to Gotham he still refuses to speak to Damian and his scent has gotten much worse.
Jon drops him off on the roof of GCPD and turns to fly away without a word when Damian grabs the end of his cape. Jon turns around with an annoyed but sorrowful expression on his face.
“What do you want now-”
Damian cuts him off with a soft kiss.
Jon makes a surprised sound before he touches down on the roof and cups Damian's cheeks in both hands kissing him back. Damian breaths a sigh of relief into the kiss and lets his hands travel up to hold Jon's waist. The kiss only lasts a few seconds before Damian pulls back, knocking his head against Jon's.
“I don’t want to bond with you yet because you deserve nothing but the best omega. I want to be everything you need and everything you want but I can’t do that as I am now so please just wait a few more years? I promise to make it worth your while.” Damian whispers into the air between them.
Jon laughs just as quietly and his scent blooms out into fresh baked strawberry tarts. “Well when you put it like that how can I say no? You could have just led with that you old fashion sap.”
“I don’t think it’s very old fashioned of me to kiss you before asking you on a date.”
Jon’s eyes widen and he flushes red before grinning and leaning in and pressing another kiss to Damian's lips. This kiss is a little heavier than the first and Damian contemplating the pros and cons of sneaking Jon in through his bedroom window when he hears a throat clearing behind him.
Jon shoots across to the other side of the building before Damian can even blink.
“O-o-oh hi m-m-mister Bat-batman sir I was um. Leaving.” Jon gives Damian an apologetic look before taking off for Smallville.
Damian takes a deep breath and turns around to find his father, Nightwing, Red Hood, Red Robin, Black Bat, and Catwoman standing behind him. All of them look terribly amused.
Damian will never know peace again.
______________________________________________________________
Damian has bonded with everyone he loves. Well. Almost everyone.
See the issue with the last person is that they’re an omega. Normally that's not a problem. Dick and Jason are omegas. Father might also be an omega although as far as everyone else is concerned he’s a beta. Theoretically it should be as easy as walking up to him and just asking for the bonding bite or issuing a challenge for submission.
Unfortunately Damian’s first order of business upon arriving at the manor, just a few short years after Todd did, was to poison Timothy's morning coffee. His second had been to try stabbing him several times over.
Timothy and Damian are civil now. Damian stopped trying to kill him and Timothy started trusting him in the field more. He knows that Timothy doesn’t really hold it against him, he’s bonded to grandfather after all( which is still fucking weird by the way) so he knows what Damian's training was like. But Damian never apologized. Never even hinted at the fact he might be a little sorry.
“Timmy's not that hard to please baby bat. Some good caffeine and whatever the latest tech gizmo is hot right now will be more than enough.” Jason says from his spot at the stove.
Cain raises an eyebrow and Brown shakes with silent laughter as she mouths the word gizmo.
Damian rolls his eyes and continues to clean the guns Jason had left sitting on his tables. Once a month Cain, Jason and Damian will have dinner together and bond over being raised in the League of Assassins. Cain and Brown have mated recently so the meetings have turned into a mix of wedding planning and shit talking the people who believe an alpha couple can’t last.
They are on the subject of Timothy because Cain wants to invite Timothy over the next month for his input. She’s been trying to convince them to allow him into their monthly meeting but Damian shuts it down every time.
Unfortunately the excuse of "Because he wasn’t actually raised with the league” does not work when the meetings have switched to wedding talk and Cain had been staring a squirming Damian down. So Damian finally had to come clean about the real reason he avoids him.
Cassandra Cain is not someone you lie to.
“He can buy both of those things himself Todd. They would not make a sincere apology.” Damian grits out.
They have been trying to find ways for Damian to politely approach the topic with him. So far their ideas have been inadequate.
“Yeah but it means more coming from family.” Brown interjects.
Damian almost drops the gun he’s cleaning. He hasn’t told them that Timothy doesn’t consider him family. How could he after everything Damian put him through? He had thought it was obvious but his siblings have been calling Timothy his brother for the past hour.
“It is still a shallow gift if he can, and most likely has, bought them himself.” Damian says while finally putting the gun down. He looks up to address the room at large.
“Look I promise to talk with Timothy before next month's meeting but let me figure it out on my own please.”
Todd, Brown and Cain exchange looks of exasperation but agree and move on to the next topic. Damian zones out for the reminder of the conversation.
How is he supposed to apologize to Timothy? Loathe as he is to admit it, Timothy is one of the few family members who is proficient in, well, everything.
He has the most combat training next to Cassandra and father, he runs a multi-billion dollar company and has the funds from Drake Industries to fall back on, everyone he cares for is relatively safe and happy. There is nothing Damian could give him.
“Why are Grandfather and Drake linked in any way?” Damian asks with disgust in his voice.
Richard hums and answers “Well baby bat I don’t really understand it myself but I believe it comes down to Ra’s wanting Tim as an heir.”
“But they do not need a bond for that.” Damian would know as he refused to bond with his grandfather only after doing intense research to make sure any claim he may have on the League of Assassins would not be threatened in doing so.
Richard suddenly gets a slightly guilty look on his face.
“No but Ra’s was also one of the few people treating Tim as a person at the time. They bonded because Tim needed connection and I wasn’t……well Ra’s was the only place he could get it for a time.”
Damian has gone stiff in his brother's arms then forces out his next question.
“Are Grandfather and Drake….involved?”
Richard seems confused before his eyes light up with laughter.
“Ah. No baby bat they aren’t. I think Ra’s might have offered that sort of relationship to Tim but was rejected. No, their bond is fully platonic.”
Damian relaxes a smidge.
“Don’t you have to know the other person on a certain level to bond? Drake and Grandfather had only encountered one another a handful of times before their bonding, yes?”
This time it’s Richard who stiffens.
“You are right on all accounts Dami. But unfortunately there are only two people in the world who know Tim as thoroughly as he knows himself. Kon-El and Ra’s. They know everything about him. Because Tim allowed them to.”
Richard's voice has taken on a horse tone and Damian can see the shine in his eyes.
“But-”
“I don’t know why he allowed Ra’s of all people to know these things, Dami. Like I said, Tim keeps his heart close to his chest. I do know that if he didn’t want the bond then he wouldn’t have it.”
Damian hadn’t asked anymore questions but he still wasn’t quite sure he understood.
Damian still doesn't really understand it but he supposes that if he were going to ask anyone for help it’d be him.
______________________________________________________________
“I must say Damian I had not expected to see again for a very long time. What brings you home, Grandson?”
Damian is sitting at the end of an intricately decorated dining table. His grandfather had walked in, spared him a single eyebrow raise, and sat at the other end of the table as he was served breakfast. He hadn’t spoken until the servants had served Damian as well and left.
“I require your advice. Grayson says you know Drake best, second only to his future mate.”
His grandfather's fingers clench ever so slightly around his fork before relaxing. Perhaps Richard was not entirely correct in the original nature of Timothy and Grandfather's relationship.
“Well he would be correct but what does that have to do with you needing advice?”
“I need to know the best way to apologize to him.”
Grandfather actually seems surprised.
“You don’t know how to apologize? Usually the words "I'm sorry" go a very long way, grandson.”
Damian scowls. “Yes but seeing as I’ve tried to kill Drake on multiple occasions I don’t think that will suffice.”
Understanding dawns in grandfather's eyes as he takes a swig of whatever is in his cup.
“And why did you not go to the kryptonian Timothy is so fond of?”
“Because you have also tried killing Drake and were arguably more successful. Still he allowed you to bond with him and has not broken it in the years since so your apologies must have worked.”
Grandfather hums like that was exactly what he expected to hear.
“Then listen to me very carefully Damian.”
Damian straightens up.
“Just say I’m sorry.”
Damian scoffs and is about to rant about how unhelpful that was but grandfather breezes past it.
“Timothy is actually a very simple man when it comes down to it. He values being seen and heard. He values communication. I am only so close to Timothy because the rest of your family is notoriously bad at talking to each other. You haven’t even expressed your regret to him have you?”
Damian’s silence tells him all he needs to know.
“I know you are thinking that a large gesture will surely win his affection back but I promise you this grandson, that will only serve to push him away. Treat him as an equal. Or as your senior if your pride can stomach it.”
Damian lets the information sink into his bones before asking the question that has been burning in mind.
“Why do you allow the bond with Drake to persist if he offers you nothing in return?”
Grandfather lets his eyes drift off. He would do this sometimes when either Damian or his mother are reminding him of a past he long wished he’d forgotten.
“He offers me plenty, grandson. Despite my reputation, I’m not in the habit of forcing bonds that are not wanted. He needed companionship when he came to me and I believe, somewhere in the cold void of my soul, I did as well.” his grandfather replies. To anyone else it would sound like he dodged the question in the strangest way. But Damian heard the answer loud and clear.
The bond stays because Timothy wants it to. Nothing more.
Damian studies his grandfather before standing.
“I issue a challenge of submission. One 10 minute spar. First to draw blood submits.”
His grandfather's eyes shine with amusement and something that Damian can’t name before he stands as well.
“Challange accepted little alpha.”
______________________________________________________________
Damian has been fidgeting outside of Drake's apartment for twenty minutes.
He is armed with several bags of Jamaican blue mountain coffee beans, about six more of Tim's usual coffee, and a custom bo staff made by Lady Shiva who had dropped in on Damain’s trip to the Nanda Parbat and thrust it in his hands.
“Apologies will work better but gifts, given in the right quantity, are nice as well.”
So he took it and the coffee and the index card with his speech notes on it to Timothy's apartment but he did not have the courage to knock.
“This is dumb. You are a trained assassin. Knocking on a door is not scary.” Damian grumbles to himself. He still doesn’t knock.
Damian tries for another five minutes before giving up. He leaves the coffee and bo staff by the door and turns around to leave when he hears the door open.
“You know I was expecting you to just try breaking the door down, not walk away.” Timothy Drake quips from the open doorway.
Damian freezes before schooling his face into a neutral expression and turns to face him.
“Nonsense Drake I carry a lock pick on me at all times.”
Timothy chuckles and makes a sweeping motion at the gifts on the floor. “I take it these are for me? I can recognize Shiva's work anywhere.” Damian nods.
“Well help me carry it in then. I’m on the tail end of a heat so my muscles are weaker than normal.”
Timothy complains as he moves to pick up one of the heavy bags of coffee. Damian grabs all of the bags and the staff before he can. Timothy raises an eyebrow at him but moves to the side so Damian can step into the kitchen and drop the bags on the counter. He starts unpacking the bags and Timothy puts on a pot of coffee.
“So do you wanna tell me why you’ve been standing outside my door like a creep for thirty minutes?” Timothy asks as he leans against the counter.
Damian stalls. “How did you-”
Timothy just holds up a tablet. Right. Security cameras. He goes back to putting the coffee away.
“I was just lost in thought.” He lies.
“Really. And it has nothing to do with the surprise visit to your Grandfather last Friday? Congratulations on bonding with him by the way. I could feel the pride when you knocked him on his ass all the way from San Francisco.”
Of course he knew. Damian puts the last of the coffee in the now overflowing cabinet and turns to face Timothy.
His posture is relaxed and Daiman can catch the scent of ink and coffee in the air although whether that's from the machine or Timothy is unclear.
Timothy looks comfortable around Damian when he really shouldn’t.
“Dames. Come back to me kid.”
Damian lets his eyes refocus to find Timothy standing a few inches away with a worried expression. It's only then that Damian realizes his scent must have gone bad.
“You okay?”
Damian doesn’t answer, just stumbles back against the counter and slides down until he hits the floor. He can feel the air in his throat constricting and all of senses have derailed.
Damian has never had this problem before. Trying to apologize to someone he’s attempted to kill. Damian had never failed at killing someone before either but Timothy has always been a very special case.
All the time he spent practicing what to say seems to have flown out the window and he can’t do this. There is no point. Timothy will never forgive him and the bonds Damian has with his family will forever feel incomplete because his brother hates him-
There is a wrist on his neck.
“What-”
“I need you to calm down baby bat. You're stinking up my apartment with dead flowers.”
Timothy is kneeling in front of Damian and rubbing the scent glands on his wrist against Damian’s neck. Damian can feel a sense of calm wash over him and his breathing slowly evens out.
“There we go. Do you want me to call Jason?” Timothy asks and he tries to pull his wrist away but when Damian makes a low distressed noise he instead shifts so that he’s gripping the back of Damian's neck.
“Come on kiddo you gotta give me something. I can’t read your emotions.”
Damian’s scent goes sour again. Timothy’s eyes widened.
“Is that why you're here? Is that what the gifts are for?” he asks with an edge in his voice that Damian can’t place. Damian takes a deep breath and forces his mouth to move.
Now or never.
“I never properly apologized to you for my actions upon arriving at the manor. I acted immaturely and I can not ever express how much I regret that. The gifts were brought because your mentor sent them along but they were also meant to be an apology as well. I don’t know how to do this as I’ve never had to apologize like this before but I am sorry. I am sorry for the insults, I am sorry for the muder attempts, I am sorry for taking your hero identity. I am sorry. I know that my lackluster apology does not guarantee you’ll want to bond with me and I can learn to live with that but I hope we can be a little more than civil now.”
It wasn’t what Damain intended to say but it’s out there now and he can’t take it back. Timothy hasn’t said anything. He’s just been staring at Damian with a look of shocked disbelief. The longer the silence stretches the stronger the scent of Damian's distress becomes.
I should have just written a letter.
Damian closes his eyes and summons all his training to keep his voice steady.
“Well. I should be going now, I believe Grayson is expecting me in Bludhaven.” Damian tries to stand up but he is pulled into a shoulder instead.
“Just. Be quiet.” Timothy croaks out.
Ten minutes pass before Timothy releases Damian from his iron grip. When Damian pulls back he finds Timothy with red rim eyes and a watery grin.
“You want to bond with me? Really?”
Damian silently nods his head.
“God kid you should have just said so. I thought you still hated me when you bonded with everyone else but me. Steph had said that wasn’t the case but it took her a year to realize Cass was into her so her opinion didn’t matter.”
Damian made a distressed noise but Tim just shook his head and pulled Damian back into his shoulder.
“Thank you for the gifts Dami. And although it wasn’t needed, apology accepted.”
______________________________________________________________
When Timothy bonds with him Damian feels whole. Like everyone he cares about(barring Jon) is finally within arms reach. Timothy floods the bond with feelings of reassurance, love, and forgiveness. Forgiveness Damian never thought he would earn.
Damian also spends a few weeks holed up in his brother's nest until Kon-El returns to earth and kicks him out.
Timothy started visiting the manor more often and subtly leaving his scent around so it adds to the cacophony of smells around the house. Damian has never felt more safe.
Jason makes an “I told you so” face when Damian drags Tim to the next meeting. Damian flips him off.
Life has been much better now that he can feel when Timothy has exhausted himself, or is irritated with a board member.
Now that he can feel Timothy's love for him.
“What are you thinking about kid?”
Damian turns his attention from the chess match he and Timothy are playing to the amused face of his older brother. He smiles and lets his emotions flow through the bond for a moment.
“Nothing Timothy. Just plotting your downfall.”
Timothy barks out a laugh.
“Bring it on brat.”