A/N) Last chapter - I couldn't figure out how to put the good bye's and man . . . hope I did them justice because I struggled with them - I was trying to keep them in character and I really hope their 'see ya's sound like the way the would have done it.

I hope you guys like this.

Motivation is your Superpower.

Damian looked - tired? No. Stiff? Maybe a little but wasn't everyone? Disgruntled? Hmmm, no that was just his face.

Jason had been staring at this kid for almost an hour straight over his coffee mug rim and phone screen. Just casting fruitless glances up at the kid because he was being ridiculously quiet and staring off into space without caring about sneak attacks or assassination attempts, Shadow perched on his lap as he stroked her fur like a villain from an eighties cartoon.

But for once, without the malicious look in his eyes.

Sad.

Jason jolted a bit when the word made itself known in his brain. Sad, the kid looked sad? Like actual downcast, sing-your-blues-out-loud kind of sad. A kid's sad, a homeless kid's sad . . .

But see - the kid had a home, and a family. So why was he looking so bummed? Maybe he's come to the same conclusion Jason has. The world was drawing to a close and he figured he could let himself become unguarded for a moment - or something.

Then the kid sighed.

Like, actually sighed out loud.

Jason put his feet down and sat up, he's probably going to regret this but - "Hey kid, something bugging you?"

Damian snapped to reality, his thin brows furrowing almost instantly as he looked at Jason with a somewhat angry and confused mixture of a look.

Yup, most definitely going to regret this.

"You."

Oh great. Jason sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Ok, ok, sorry I asked. Jeez." He decided to shut this down before it started and went back to his phone. It wasn't worth ruining his surprisingly serene morning.

Damian's glare didn't slip off. Not for a second.

Jason groaned and put his coffee down to look the kid square in the eyes. "What?" He basically demanded the kid just get whatever crap he was thinking through over with.

Damian just glared.

"You gonna talk or do you just want to rile me up for a beat down?" The older vigilante was losing patience.

Finally the kids face falls away from the anger and sudden resentment that was building up on it. "I don't like this."

"What are you now? The Riddler? Don't like what, ya cracker?" Jason was really loosing patience now.

"No matter how I look at it - the similarities are - demeaning."

"Similarities between what? You and the cat? Don't hurt her feelings like that, you don't deserve to be like her." He'd had about enough now and decided to go into the kitchen if only it would give him an excuse to get away from the spazing kid in front of him.

"No idiot. Between you and I."

Jason stopped mid step, hand already on the counter, his entire body hairs going up. Oh. The kid was thinking about them, how much they may have in common and it was bugging him and - Jason may get that a bit. It bugged him too.

"What's so bad about that?" He grit out, looking at the kid from the doorway.

Damian stood up, brushing cat hair off his slacks. "I always believed I was above you - better than you, I still do but - this week . . . It appears what Grayson says about you might be true." His eyes fall away.

Jason rubbed at his neck to ease the sudden awkwardness he felt. "You - why is this important?" He really doesn't know.

"Because, despite our situations and connections to the league of assassins - despite the fact that you are as out of control as I am - mostly . . . father still thinks of your days as Robin with pride that I don't get." He looked away completely now.

Jason thought for a moment. The kid was - jealous? Of him? Huh, that's new.

"Believe me kid, that's way off - I was Batman's worst nightmare, still am - whatever you become can't be worse than me." Jason realizes too late that that remark sounded a lot like he was attempting to comfort the kid.

Damian just stares out the window at the pale dusty sky where the sun should be at this time of day.

"Whatever." He doesn't say more.

Jason had this nagging feeling there was something else. Something he wasn't expecting - Damian wasn't a touchy feely kind of kid - Jason got that, emotions got in the way of a lot of things, he learned that the hard way. But still - there was something else. And it was going to eat the kid up alive - Jason knew how that went too.

"Don't you like being Robin, kid?" It wasn't meant to be voiced, but Jason let it out anyway.

The mini assassin shrugged. "Yes - same as anyone else who wore the mantel." Then he turned and actually looked at Jason.

That's when the older delinquent saw what the kid was really saying. For one bare moment Jason read between the kids fine printed lines. He was terrified he couldn't do the title proud - same as Jason had been back in the day. The fact that the kid was actually on such rocky ground with his mask and thinking about it was shocking and practically knocked Jason flat on his ass.

Damian Wayne was uncertain of himself as Robin.

Damian Wayne wasn't as perfect as he made everyone believe he believed he was.

Damian Wayne was a sad, lonely little boy who grew up too fast and holds way too much responsibility.

Damian Wayne was like him.

Jason saw it - he saw through the kid. Why the brat was letting him was beyond reason. But he saw and he felt exactly what demon spawn felt and it scared the crap out of both of them.

The air was stingingly silent for another moment. If Jason had a clock, you could probably hear it ticking.

"You'll - you're doing fine." That's it. That's all Jason could say. He didn't have the guts or weakness to say anything else out loud.

Damian nodded, his mask slipping back on as he turned back to the window. "Yes - I am."

And just like that - moment was over.

Jason cleared his throat and headed for the fridge, Damian turned his attention back to the cat on the ground.

Neither said anything for a while after.

But just as Jason was calming down and getting used to the silence Damian spoke up again, voice uncharacteristically low.

"Today's Sunday."

"Yah. So?"

Another moments pause that Jason doesn't understand.

"It's been a week."

So what? Wait a minute - wait . . . Oh. Oh yah. It's been a week. Both boys look at each other and if anyone was there they would probably die of shock at the sheer lack of hatred in their looks.

"Yah - It's been a week."

And for a bare, unbelievable second - Damian Wayne actually looked disappointed at the fact.

The knock on the door took them both by surprise.

They weren't waiting for anything at the moment. So neither could think as to who could be at the door.

Jason stopped right in the middle of making pancakes for lunch and looked at the kid. Damian - who begrudgingly admitted he actually liked Jason's pancakes - paused mid chew and glanced at the door.

Both went into caution mode because that was a completely normal thing to do when the door knocked unexpectedly.

"Hang back kid, I'll scream if I need my gun."

"Tt, as if I'd bring it too you. You need a wider array of weapons Todd - like shurikens, or katana."

Jason rolled his eyes. "I'll keep that in mind, back off." He tip toed, spatula in hand, and reached for the handle just as the doorbell went off.

He paused as a voice called from the other side.

"I'm really hoping you guys are still in there - please don't be dead."

Jason let out a loud groan and remembered as he yanked the door open, spatula still raised.

Dick Grayson looked up, his face drawn and grey, but the moment his eyes landed on Jason in a tank and towel in his belt with Damian chewing behind him glaring through a crack his entire face looked like the sun just came up after years of darkness.

"Jay! You're alive!" He would have thrown himself at Jason if the other hadn't moved aside as fast as humanly possible. "And Dami too! Oh, thank God!" Dick fell to his knees and actually got the kid in his clutches and squeezed with a relived laugh.

Damian wheezed and cursed.

Jason snorted earning a hard glare from the purpling kid.

"You have no idea how worried I was, seriously, I couldn't stop thinking about you two, I almost got my entire team killed - It's been a hell of a week and I am so glad to see you both didn't murder each other - Wow, I'm so proud of you guys right now." Dick was starting to ramble, the ass actually had tears in his eyes as he squished Damian's face in his hands and tilted his head as if to check for injuries.

"Wow, thanks for that stunning amount of faith you have in us." Jason snarked as he slammed the door shut and went back to his griddle.

Dick stood up. "Oh no, Jay-Bird I was just - concerned is all."

"I can handle myself, Grayson - I already told you before you dumped me off here." Damian snapped and resumed his pancake eating.

Dick laughed nervously and rubbed his head. "Yah - yah - I'm sorry guys, I knew it would be ok but - the possibilities of - never mind. Those smell good, can I get some?"

Damian and Jason actually share a look at that moment then they both glare at Dick. "No." Came the simultaneous answer.

Dick stared, almost appalled. "No? Did you two - just agree on tormenting me?"

"Hmm, not a bad idea, what do you think demon spawn?"

"I'll get the gun."

Dick paled as he watched the two actually smirk and - the viciousness wasn't directed at each other either.

What has he done?

"Well, breakfast was great - "

"It's two in the afternoon, Dick-Head."

"Right - thanks anyway, and thanks a million for taking care of Dami, really means a lot." Dick attempted to pat Jason's shoulder but Damian shoved him aside and glared at the tallest vigilante in the room.

"Ignore him. I didn't need 'taking care of' - but my time here wasn't a complete waste." Damian stuck out his hand, face not betraying any sort of emotion whatsoever.

Jason snorted. "I bet you did, free loader." He took the kids hand and shook.

Dick just watched. Torn between fear of this odd alliance and excitement of this bonding.

"Come on, Grayson - I'm sure Father's been waiting for my return."

"Uh - yah, yah - right, thanks again Jay - see ya."

"Yah, whatever - get lost." Jason brushed the acrobat off and turned to ignore him.

Dick shrugged and rushed off down the hall.

Damian hung back in the doorway and glanced at Jason who stared back.

"Thank you . . . " The kid didn't say for what - Jason knew, he knew what the kid was thanking him for.

For understanding - for showing the kid there were others like him, for giving him some outlet. For letting him be his prickly self.

Jason smiled. A real one right at the kid, nodding in understanding, and maybe if the kids face had learned how to do it when he was little he would have smiled a real one back. But he wasn't skilled in that department of facial usage yet so he settled for a nod.

"I'm sure there will be another chance to partner with you. You aren't completely useless."

"Yah Kid - I'm sure, do me a favor though - tell Dick, if he ever drops a surprise guest on me again I'll shoot him one. 'Kay?"

"Understood. Also, there's something on your bed." Then the mini turd turned and walked out as fast as he could without appearing undignified.

Jason shook his head in disbelief. He never would have thought - but the Snot actually may have grown on him just a tad - a teeny tiny tad. Then he remembered what the kid said - bed?

He's face turned to suspicion as he went and found a box in the middle of it. Jason figured it wasn't a bomb - probably - one could never be too sure . . .

Shadow hopped up and sat next to him on the mattress as he dramatically opened the box with an impossibly slow flourish and when it didn't explode in his face he peeked inside.

A sharp grin spread across his face.

Inside were his favorite missing pair of combat boots - both feet.

Jason chuckled to himself and slipped the boots on. That little Demon spawn turned out to be a lot less evil than he thought.

Guess this wasn't one of his bad weeks after all.

Sooooo? Was it ok? Did they seem in character? I don't know - was it crap? I really can't judge this one because I am my worst critic.

I hope you guys liked it anyway - the entire story I mean so - thanks for reading, faving and following.

And as always - reviewing. That's my favorite part.

Thanks a bunch and hope to see you next time. I'm working on another story with big brother Jason only it's with Tim de-aged - it's definitely going to be waaaay more fluff than this one.

Check it out if you want. I would love it if you did.

It's called Back Awhile.

Thanks again!