It was quiet. It always was since he left.

His new apartment felt so cold. So alone. Definetly an apart-ment since he was apart from him.

He felt so lonely. More than he had ever felt before.

It had been his own choice, how could he not be happy?

Everything had changed. Everything was different.

He couldn't teach anymore. He couldn't share anymore. He couldn't share jokes, laughs, experiences.

He couldn't share anything anymore.

He never thought he'd miss it thatmuch. He had always thought freedom meant everything to him.

He had wanted to fly. Alone. Make his own decisions, his own mistakes.

But he missed it. He missed everything.

It stayed with himand left only pain. His chest ached from this knowlenge.

Why did he leave? Why couldn't he just have stayed?

Richard Grayson never thought he would regret a decision he made so much. He had spent so much time thinking about what would happen if Bruce came back. Ifhe ever did. And the more time passed, the more he became used to his new role. This little burst of joy he felt when he saw Bruce quickly faded. The pain started when he sat down to pack his suitcase.

You are moving out?

Yes Damian.

He had known that once the first Batman returned there wouldn't be any use for the second anymore. That thought had always felt like a knife twisting in his chest. Thoughts about the time they spent together. About the things the couldhavedone.

How far will your new apartment be?

I won't be livin in this city anymore, Damian.

They could have spent so much moretime together. Get to know each other more. But he wasn't sure if Damian would have liked that. Probably not. The kid thought of him nothing more than a cheap imitation of Batman. The kid thought nothing more of him than him being Batman.

Where will you go?

Bludhaven.

He hoped to have at least fulfilled the role as Batman in Damian's eyes. Maybe at the end. He had tried his best to be more. To be there for him. To give him love. To give him everything he wanted. And there was still hope to maybe hear words of gratitude or sadness of him leaving. But he knew this hope was vain.

…

Goodbye Damian, I'll miss you.

But he couldn't just let this be. He wanted to change this situation. Make up for his mistake. He just wanted to hear Damian's voice again. He wanted him to feel loved. He wanted to show him he still cared. So he did the next thing he could think of. With every ring his heart beat stronger in his chest.

Sometimes, being free means to choose not to leave at all.

Hello? Damian?

See what I did here? ;P

Thank you for reading 3

-Miya