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Wally was so dead when Dick got ahold of him next.
He’d eyed not one but three darkened bruises running up his neck from his bathroom mirror. They’d been together for a couple months at this point, only stealing chaste kisses and long hand holding until Dick had presented as an omega, the smell of heat still staining his skin. The alpha had become a bit insatiable, always wanting an extra long hug and kisses that were becoming prolonged. Dick wasn’t complaining, he’d never felt closer to the boy, wanting just as much but now Bruce was gone on a mandatory trip and Damian was to stay and help Alfred with Dick and Jason, who were not to be trusted after what they’d done to the cave the last time Bruce was away. It was easy to get around Bruce, who was so observant everywhere but his own home and Jason seemed like he was starting to suspect something but he’d had no proof of anything. Except now with these illuminating marks.
“Master Richard, are you going to join everyone at the table this evening?” Alfred's muffled voice carried through the door.
“Uh, yeah Alfie, just a minute!” He yelled, yanking on the turtleneck he’d found in the back of his closet. He hiked up the collar making sure nothing was showing before he took a deep breath and made his way down to the dining room.
He was hoping to sit away from both Jason and Damian but Damian sat at the head of the table as he usually did, Jason on his left and Tim next to him. It would’ve been strange for him to sit across from Tim and a plate for him had already been placed on Damians right. He swallowed the frustrated sigh and brushed off the questioning looks as he made his way to his seat.
He’d thought about how he was going to say it all day and instead of just telling Damian he had put it off. He was running out of time, he concluded as he pushed around the red sauce on his plate in despair.
“Dick, you okay?” Tim questioned, watching the boy with concern.
The words had felt like vomit the way they uncontrollably expelled from his throat, “I’m going to pass on patrolling tonight.” Dick declared, avoiding the questioning eyes. He knew the collar of his Robin suit wouldn’t be tall enough to hide certain intimate actions and he was just trying his best to make it through the week.
Damian was quick to tilt his head, hand reaching out to feel Dick’s head, “Are you unwell, Richard?”
“No,” He was quick to dodge the fast approaching hand, batting any further attempt, “I’m just behind on a term paper for biology.”
“Hn then what's with the turtleneck Dick?” Tim questioned.
Quick to swallow a mouth full of spinach stuffed shells, Jason butted in, “Yeah you know it’s like the middle of May, right?”
"You say that like it isn't always colder than a witch's tit here." The table shared a knowing look, Dick’s snappish behavior pointed to him clearly hiding something.
Alfred sent the boy a stern glare, quick to reprimand him, “Language, Master Grayson.”
Dick threw his head back in a loud exaggerated groan, he wasn’t even hungry to begin with, he should’ve just stayed in his room with some exc-, “What am I spying with my little eyes, Dickhead?”
“Master Jason-”
Dick was quick to sit up, fighting the urge to fix the collar of his shirt, “I don’t know what you're talking about.”
Jason let out a loud snicker, spinning his glass in his hand, “I’ll give you a hint, it’s big and purple and poorly hidden. Looks painful.”
“Shut. Up! Jason!”
“Master Richard!”
Damian ignored the commotion, standing up to grip onto Dicks arm with one hand and the other forcibly yanking down his shirt collar, “Who forced you Richard? I swear I’ll-”
“No one forced me! It-” he glanced away, feeling the heat rise on his face, “It was mutual kisses.”
“You’re fifteen! You shouldn’t be kissing anyone !”
Dick harshly pulled out of the bruising grip, “I can kiss whoever I want, Damian! You aren’t the boss of me!”
Jason let out an overdrawn gasp, “I’m appalled baby bird! I wouldn’t expect you to be running around town like you were dosed with Ivy's pollen.” Dick sent Jason an icy glare, he was enjoying Dicks debasement far too much.
Though mocking, Jason's words placed a queasy feeling in Damian's gut–his pup was trying to grow up too fast. “You’ve only had your first heat a month ago; I understand this is a confusing time but you’re still a pup. I prohibit any more contact with whoever was crass enough to do this to you.” Damian forced his alpha voice, hoping to get through to Dick despite all the training he had fighting it. He wanted nothing more than to grab the youngest of their pack and strongly scent him, leaving a threatening warning for whoever dared come near.
Dick looked up at him with bewilderment, eyes wide and mouth slightly slack, “It’s not- It has nothing to do with-”
“I don’t care, Richard, this will not be happening again.”
The whine was low and quiet but so clearly distressed omega that the others had stood, hoping to calm the young boy in front of them. Though instead of sadness, a fire burned low in Dicks gut, opening his mouth to spit out the ashes of his insides, “You’re such a- a frigid asshole! You don’t get to control my life anymore, you’re not pack alpha and it’s not like you’re ever around here to begin with!”
Damian knew the boy was ill-tempered, but he hadn’t expected such disrespect from his direct orders, “When father is away, I’m responsible for you–so you will show me respect,” Damian moved into Dicks space, gripping his scruff and demanding submission with his scent rolling out in waves, “You act like father would even tolerate this juvenile behavior.”
Another soft uncontrollable whine line left Dick as he lost the fight to not bare his neck at the alpha holding him. Tim cleared his throat, beginning to move around the table toward the pair, “Alright Damian, I think Dick gets it, you can stop with the pheromones–you're suffocating us.” Keeping position on Dick, Damian let out a deep growl stopping Tim in his tracks, who raised his hands showing an attempt at beta submission, “I’m not moving, D, relax.”
The room stood tense, Alfred keeping a hand on a growling Jason to keep him from lashing out at the need to show dominance against Damian. The smell of stressed omega rapidly began to sour the air, and Damian instinctually lowered attempting to scent his pained pup in hopes to soothe him. Yet when he got close enough, Dick nipped painfully at the older man’s cheek, startling him enough to loosen his grip.
Dick took the opportunity to swiftly move out of reach, wiping roughly at the tear tracks on his cheek with his palm as he snarled, “You can’t even listen to me! You’re just like everyone else, all you see is an omega!” He spun on his heel, storming out of the dining room before anything else could be said.
Damian fought the urge to follow and put the boy in his place from the blatant display of disrespect, the words weighing far too heavy on his chest. He needed to cool off, keep himself from Richard till he could properly speak to the boy.
“Jason,” Tim barked, blocking the path to the stairs, “leave him alone.”
The younger alpha exposed his canines, a low growl emitting from him, “Move. Now.”
“Master Timothy is right, it’s best for everyone to have a bit of space right now.” Alfred added, watching Jason carefully in case he needed to be restrained.
“He’s distressed,” Jason hissed, “He can’t be alone!”
Tim scoffed, not budging from his spot, “Yeah I’m sure more alpha stench is exactly what he needs right now,” Jason's growl deepened and he took a step to make his way past Tim.
“Todd! Take a walk.” Damian commanded, eyes burning into the younger alpha who fought to listen, “ Now .”
Jason held eye contact for a minute before dropping his gaze, only slightly showing his neck before pushing past Tim and going in the opposite direction of the youngest member. Damian moved to follow after Jason, making sure at least someone would listen to his orders tonight.
“Master Damian,” Alfred requested before he could leave the room, “a word once you’ve cooled down.”
Damian swallowed the growl at the beta ordering him and gave a jerky nod before disappearing down the hall to the cave.
“Dinner was great as always Alfred,” Tim breathed out, before making his way upstairs. He made sure to stop at his old room, switching his striped tee to an old school hoodie that had become snug bordering on tight. He figured it’d be best to get rid of the alpha scent as much as he could, it was certainly strong enough that even his dull nose could smell it.
When he made it to Dick’s room, the boy had drenched hair that was soaking the shoulders and back of an oversized Keystone hoodie. His back was to the door as he viciously tore at the nest he carefully crafted at the end of last month when he first presented. The boy had been so short tempered and jittery that month that everyone had thought he was going to present as an alpha, it wasn’t until large amounts of clothing and pillow cases and other random items had magically found themselves to Dicks room that they’d figured out they’d now had their first omega in the pack. Bruce had rushed to the school once the dots had been connected and checked Dick out despite his heat not yet hitting him. He’d missed a week and a half of school, getting his heat two days later and then had complained the whole next week about how far behind he’d fallen.
Not entering the room, he leaned against the outside frame and gave two short knocks. The omega had jumped, so enamored with what he was doing that he hadn’t noticed Tim; he turned around baring his smaller fangs with a snarl. Tim once again that night raised his arms, making sure to take a further step back, “Things got a bit heated downstairs, hm.”
“Damian's a bastard.”
“Well technically, you’re not wrong,” Tim snorted, slowly crossing his arms to not startle Dick, “Can I come in Dickie?”
Dick’s eyes narrowed slightly, hand clenched painfully tight around the extra large green sweater that was so clearly Damian’s, before he took a deep breath and looked away, “You can come in..”
Tim carefully made his way through the now cluttered floor, Dick had obviously ripped all of Damian’s items from his nest, and what looked like not all but a few from Jason, Bruce, Jon and Conner and a few other alpha’s clothes he recognized. He’d noticed he’d been lucky enough to not make the cut, the other’s would clearly be hurt to see the statement and Dick’s nest had dwindled vastly. Instead of approaching the younger boy or his nest, he turned the chair at the desk and sat down.
“I know Damian can be a lot,” Dick huffed rolling his red and puffy eyes, “but he’s just scared-”
“Scared? Damian scared? He’s controlling and egotistical with little to no consideration for others but he’s not ever scared.” Dick pulled at the knitted sweater before becoming so overwhelmed he tossed it at the door.
Tim sat back, watching Dick kick the pile at his feet, “He’s emotionally stunted, he’s come a long way but he’s doing what he thinks is best for you.”
“That is not what’s best fo-”
“I never said it was, just that you’re the baby whether you like it or not Dick, you’re always going to be a pup to us.”
“Well- I’m not a pup anymore! Get over it!” Dick yelled.
Tim sighed, fiddling with pencil that was on the desk, “I’m sorry you were treated like less than tonight,” he opted to change the topic knowing that it wasn’t going anywhere progressive, “I know what it’s like to be outed like that when you only care about someone.”
Dick tilted his head, blinking away the tears boiling in his eyes, “What do you mean?”
“Damian had caught me kissing a boy from school, Dami and I weren’t close at the time but I was lucky that Bernard had thicker skin than he looked.” Tim had remembered the colorful threats the older alpha had spat as he stood in between the younger two. At the time it was humiliating but now when he thought about it.. It was still humiliating but also nice to know that he did care.
“You,” he sniffled, taking a deep breath, “You didn’t see him after that?”
Dick’s voice sounded so defeated that Tim just wanted to hug the boy and tell him thing’s would be okay, instead he stayed put, sending him a soft half smile, “Fuck no, I didn’t stop seeing him. I really cared about him and I wasn’t going to let alpha pigheadedness or anything else get in my way. I mean eventually we just had too different of lives and grew apart and then I got to know Conner.”
“So, I can- I can still see Wa- him?”
Tim forced the knowing smile off his face at Dick’s slip, it didn’t take much more to connect the dots, “Yeah Dickie, if that’s what you really want but maybe keep it PG for now yeah?”
Dick blushed, scratching the back of his head, “We haven’t- It’s not- We didn’t-”
“It’s okay, I get it.” Tim said, saving the boy from his stuttering.
An awkward silence filled the room as Dick fought to get his next words out, “Hey, Timmy,” he asked quietly, fiddling with one of the pillows, “Can you lay with me for a while?”
Tim melted in his spot, how could he ever say no to that? He stood, deliberately moving slowly to the younger boy, “Of course baby bird.” He let Dick situate himself in his torn apart nest and then wrapped around the pup, ignoring the wetness from his hair and if the small sniffles were anything to go by, his tears.
* * *
After patrol, hours later from dinner and a short but heavy-handed conversation with Pennyworth, Damian had found himself in Richard's doorway. His pup let out hushed snores, tightly wrapped around Timothy who was watching him with a raised brow. It was then Damian noticed his clothing piled by the door, obviously discarded from Richard’s nest. It left a painful twist in his chest and he gave Drake a small nod before scooping up a portion of the pile and leaving for his room. When he dumped the clothes on his bed he’d noticed some not his but belonging to others–Jason's overworn leather jacket, a sock that once belonged to a pair that he’d gotten Jon a few years ago and father’s go to blazer that had a static clinging silk scarf that smelled of Selina. He separated his clothes placing them in his dirty clothes bin and then folded the others, leaving them by the door to deal with later. He’d gotten ready for bed but sleep never consumed him as Grayson’s words from earlier rolled around his head. It wasn’t his intention to make the omega feel only seen as such. It was just that Richard was too young to be looking for suitors, especially one that was clearly perverted enough to disrespect his pup like they had. When Richard was much, much older then they could discuss future partners that could be thoroughly vetted by him.
The issue was trying to get Richard to understand.
* * *
The next morning it was obvious that Dick wasn’t coming to breakfast as the three ate in quiet unease. Damian stood, unable to deal with his absence any longer, “Just let him rest, Damian.” Tim sighed from his seat.
“Just because he is upset does not give him the right to skip meals, Drake.” With long strides he made his way out of the dining room ignoring Todd's soft growls and both beta’s sending him pointed looks.
When he checked Richard's room, it was empty, the dissected nest from last night now completely taken apart and the smell of an upset omega filling the air so strongly that Damian had to go open the window with a hand over his nose. Richard clearly wasn’t in the room and so Damian trekked throughout the manor, checking the library, the study and his fathers bedroom, all which were empty as he thought they’d be. He couldn’t follow a scent because the overwhelming scent of doleful omega seemed rampant through every hallway. With a dejected sigh, he made his way to the cave, remembering how Richard had decompressed when he was his Robin.
He found the boy spinning around on uneven double gymnastics bars, face in deep concentration that he hadn’t noticed Damians presence. He watched him for a while, not wanting to disturb him lest the boy fall and get hurt. It wasn’t until the boy touched down on the mats with raised arms that Damian cleared his throat signaling his proximity. Richard spun around, his sweat drenched face melting into a frown with no heat behind it.
An uncomfortable silence washed the room and Damian shoved his hands in his pockets, he’d never been a nervous fiddler and he wasn’t going to start now. Dick on the other hand, continuously tugged and wrapped the towel he used to wipe his face around his hands. Guilt washed over Damian in all consuming waves as he watched the boy in front of him, silence didn’t fit the boy.
“Richard, you missed breakfast.” he forged, “You can be upset but you are not allowed to neglect your health.”
“Is this another order, Alpha ?” Dick snarled, eyes quick to fill with the same fire from last night.
Damian held back a growl at the childish mocking's, “Tt, throwing a tantrum like a brat isn’t going to help your case.”
“Respect is a two way street Damian! You don’t get to go around demanding it when you can’t even give me the time of day!”
Damian clenched his fist, this was not how things were supposed to develop, he’d taken space to calm down but not even five minutes together the two were ready to go at each others throats. He was the adult, he was the one in charge while father was gone and so with a deep breath he unclenched, meeting Richard's eyes with an impassive look, “Talk to me pup, I’m.. ready to listen.”
Dick took an unconscious step back, not expecting Damian to be so calm. All the angry things he’d thought over and over again last night had filtered away, letting another silence stretch out between the two. Except Damian didn’t do anything but wait for him to collect his bearings. He’d expected another fight today, he’d prepared for it when he’d torn apart his nest but now he was at a loss.
“I- I’m not a slut, Dami,” This was the thought that had plagued him all night; even at fifteen he’d had enough tabloids inappropriately discussing his intimate life as well as various villains and even a few heroes, he didn’t need to add his family to the ever growing list.
It was Damian's turn to be stunned, a dark look passing over his face, “I never thought you to be, I never will think of you that way.”
A partial weight had lifted off of Dick and he moved to scratch at the back of his head, not wanting to meet his brother's eyes, “It’s just,” the words felt caught in his throat, too tight to do anything other than suffocate him. Damian had slowly made his way toward the struggling boy, not touching him but allowing his closeness to show his support.
“It’s just what baby bird?” He questioned softly.
Dick cleared his throat, back to fiddling with the towel, “I really care for.. This person and I really care for you and I really don’t want you to force me to choose between the two of you.”
He paused, forcing himself to calm once again before he said something he regretted, “I wish that you could see things from my eyes, pup,” Damian sighed, “You’re so young, too young to be having these kinds of dilemmas.”
“I have been fighting rogues in Gotham since I was nine, I think I deserve a little credit here.”
Damian wanted to complain that that situation was different, someone was always there with the boy, he was always there with his Robin–to watch his back and always ready to protect him from any outside dangers. Instead he remained silent, waiting for the Boy Wonder to finish explaining his case.
“I don’t want to stop seeing him, I just want you to have my back. Don’t you trust me, Dami? Haven’t I at least earned that?” Dick sobbed, crossing his arms in attempts to hold himself together.
Maybe Damian wasn’t watching his Robin's back as he thought he was, but he just couldn’t let go of the boy who wormed his way into his heart at incredible speeds. He wanted to keep the boy who would look at him with wonder, like he’d hung the moon. He hadn’t meant to be the cause of his pup's distress but he wasn’t ready for someone to take their youngest from his pack. The thought of him separating himself from them was too much to think about. “Of course I trust you but this is more than that.”
“In what way? If you trusted me then you wouldn’t be pushing me away.”
Was it not the degenerate pulling Richard away from him? Was he truly pushing the boy away? He needed to stop this as quickly as he could, “Tt, you don’t get to sever yourself from our pack, we are your family. Whoever this debaucher is, they cannot wedge themselves in between us.”
Dick’s head tilted slightly as if he was trying to process Damian's words, “I’m not leaving the pack.. Yes I care deeply for him, and we are serious but you guys are my home. I’m never going to let you guys go. I promise.”
Damian had an overwhelming urge to pull Dick into him, to scent the boy, to continue to be his home but he kept his hands still tucked tightly in his pockets, “If I allow you,” Dick let out a quiet huff, rolling his eyes, but allowed him to continue, “to continue seeing this boy then he needs to be properly introduced and properly court you until your of age.”
“Only if you promise to behave yourself, I don’t want you to scare him off.”
“If he is so easily scared then he isn’t worthy of you.”
Dick gave him another eye roll but a small smile filled his features, finally the smell of a content omega filled the room. Except something continued to itch at the back of Damian's head, unable to be satisfied with the conversation. “Richard,” he demanded softly, “an alpha, a beta or even another omega can never control you and last night, I didn’t mean to treat you unfairly,” Dick kept himself from commenting at Damian's obvious contradiction, listening intently to the alpha, “I won’t be using a command on you unless it's absolutely necessary. Being an omega is not something to be disparaged of and I should have never placed you into that position to think otherwise. I’m.. sorry Richard.”
Dick pushed himself tightly into Damian, clutching the man as close as he could. Nothing was said but the two stayed put, scenting one another allowing things to be mended.
“I love you, Dami.”
“I love you too, baby bird.” Damian said, making a mental note to make a file on how to completely take down and destroy a speedster–for a rainy day if need be.
* * *
That night Dick had made sure to fix his nest, sneaking into Damian's room to collect the articles of clothing that had been taken from him. Making sure everything was placed correctly and securely before he called Wally, unable to hide his enjoyment at his boyfriend's future torment. The speedster had placed him in this predicament in the first place, and he deserved a good laugh from all this grief. After all, it was only fair.
As he drifted into sleep with fingers crossed and a hopeful heart, he dreamt that everyone would come out unscathed–well, as much as they could in this family, but Dick knew he wouldn't have it any other way.