Alfred_Is_A_Badass wanted damijon and i'm not the best with writing Jon so apologies if i do him dirty

My timelines may be off but when has that ever stopped us before?

Damian was pushing himself to his limits and beyond. Everyone could see it. How could they not when it was so obvious? Despite his habit of always looking put together, his appearance lately was unkempt at best. His hair always looking dishevelled in some way and the bags under his eyes growing day by day. He always looked exhausted but never gave a real reason why. They knew he was spending time in the gym more often than not and his training had gotten a lot more intense without anyone giving the order for the change. No one knew why he was working so hard when he supposedly thought he was already the best to ever exist. He always had such confidence in himself but now it seemed like he was trying to prove how far he could go without breaking. Of course, if you're always trying to show how far you can go then one day you're going to shatter and Jon, more than anyone, wasn't up for picking up the pieces. This Saturday they were going to train together then have a sleepover and Jon had a plan to make it worthwhile. He was going to get to the bottom of what was causing this unusual behaviour and he was going to solve it. Sure Damian was a pain in his ass but he couldn't help but care for the guy. He was just messed up. Overconfident in some areas and somehow insecure in the ones that mattered. Besides, no one deserved to suffer alone no matter how aggravating they were to work with.

The super knocked on the Wayne Manor door with his overnight bag in hand and his mind focused on his mission. The door opened and he was greeted by none other than Dick Grayson. He quirked an eyebrow at the older since he hadn't expected him. Dick was very different to Alfred who had always answered the door before now. The acrobat noticed his confusion and cackled to himself. "Alfie is off duty today so you'll be dealing with me I'm afraid. Come on in," he greeted brightly. Jon smiled to himself at how chipper he was and walked inside. "Dami went out to walk Titus but he should be back soon so you won't have to deal with me for too long."

"Should I put my bag upstairs?" He shook his head. 

"Leave it for now. I could do with talking to you about something first," he replied. Jon tensed up a little. He didn't know what it was but whenever someone said they needed to talk about something it usually meant some kind of trouble. Dick seemed to sense this and shot him a kind smile. "It's about Damian. He's not himself and granted he's always been a little off, I've never known him so driven for a lack of a better word. He won't tell me anything about it. Don't blame him really but do you think you could handle it? Figure out what's going on?"

"I can try but isn't it a little weird to go behind his back like that? I don't know if I'm comfortable just telling everyone about his personal business," Jon replied. 

"I only ask that you tell me if he's in danger. I trust you can help him with anything that isn't going to cause him serious harm. If it does then an adult needs to step in who will be me because God knows nobody else has the emotional capacity to deal with anything of that matter," he clarified. The younger thought for a few moments. This wouldn't deviate from the plan he already had and from what he remembered, Damian liked his eldest brother. Well, he never explicitly said that but he didn't seem to complain about him as much as he did about everyone else. He supposed that if this was something really serious then other people would have to know. If Damian was a danger to himself then the only people who could stop it were those he lived with combined with Jon and Jon couldn't be there every single day. They didn't even live in the same city. He nodded his head to himself. 

"I can do that. Only if he's a danger to himself right?"

"Right. I'm giving him the night off. Gotham is big but I can deal with it alone if you deal with this for me," Dick answered. He stuck his hand out to the younger. "We have a deal, kid?" Jon scoffed at the nickname and took his hand, shaking it. "Good. I owe you one."

"You owe him what?" Damian asked.

The pair looked over to the teen who was letting Titus off his lead. Dick smiled at him innocently. "I owe him one for keeping you busy for the night. I could do with going back to the old solo Nightwing days," he joked. Damian tutted at him and walked over to them, glancing at Jon up and down suspiciously. He narrowed his eyes for a moment then shrugged to himself. 

"Indeed, you should start learning how to depend on yourself again. I've saved you far too many times for my liking." Now that he was close, Jon got a proper look at his friend. He didn't know what he expected since he just found out what they'd been seeing recently. Messed up hair, heavy bags under the eyes, not entirely dressed properly and looking so tired that it was actually making him tired just looking at him. He could see why Dick had been so insistent on them having a sleepover now. It was his last resort so to speak. 

"I can handle myself you little gremlin," Dick cackled, tussling the younger's hair lovingly. Damian tutted at him but made no attempt to fix his hair which was very unlike him. They both noticed it and neither of them liked it. "How about I leave you two to it? Just some house rules to remind you of. No climbing on the chandelier - learned that the hard way - no killing each other, no drawing blood when roughhousing and keep said roughhousing to the training room. Oh also try not to break anything expensive-looking," he listed, counting the rules on his fingers to make sure he wasn't missing any. "Uh there's money in the kitchen to get take out - order some for me too, you know what I like - and remember no patrolling unless I put in an emergency call. Got all that?"

"Yep!" Jon answered, Damian simply nodding.

"Great. I need to get some things together before going out so I'll leave you two to it. Enjoy full reign of the place," he added before walking to the nearest Batcave entrance. 

"He's always chirpy, isn't he?" Jon commented.

"I guess."

Things felt wrong between the pair. There was an elephant in the room there was a Godzilla like goliath sitting in the corner waiting patiently to be addressed yet neither were making the move to. They'd gone to Damian's room and finished some homework that they hadn't been able to finish previously but once the TV was turned on there was a silence between them. Jon felt like Damian's side of the silence was due to exhaustion rather than avoidance. He kept taking long blinks and would get to just the moment before dropping off only to wake himself up, shaking his head and stifling a yawn. Dick had come in at one point to announce his exit and insisted on them going downstairs rather than staying in one room all night. He mentioned never understanding how they could sit still for so long as he left them in the Batcave training room, driving off in the iconic Batmobile. It was in said training room that Jon reached his limit of seeing Damian suffer and he had to say something. The shorter wasn't even punching his punching bag anymore. It looked like he was trying to brofist it over and over. Jon had never known his punches to be so weak. "Damian, fess up. What's going on?"

"What're you talking about?" Damian snapped back. 

"Uh, I don't know. Maybe I'm talking about how you look like you haven't slept in the last hundred years or maybe I'm talking about how you've just decided to not take care of yourself. Oh but it could be how your punches are so weak even a baby could hit harder," Jon replied sarcastically. Granted, he didn't have to be so sassy about it but the other's tone had set him off. Did he miss the announcement that caring for your friend is suddenly a crime? 

"Leave it alone Kent. It's nothing for you to be concerned with," the shorter barked back. 

"It is something for me to be concerned about. Have you looked in the mirror lately? Long story short, you look awful. You never let yourself look awful. Some of your best looking moments have been when you were hurt or something," he argued. He folded his arms to confirm his confidence in something going on. Damian yelled and turned away, shaking from either anger or something more worrisome. "C'mon-"

"Just shut up! You don't know anything!"

"Exactly! I don't know anything! So tell me what's going on so I can know."

Sniffles filled the training room and Jon was damn well sure it wasn't him and that neither of them had colds. He sighed and walked over to Damian whose shoulders were rising and falling with each hiccuped breath. He wrapped his arms around the shorter and pulled him into a hug that was at first unwelcome but slowly returned. Damian held onto him just a tight, maybe even tighter, as he tried to get his composure again. "It's alright. I'm here. Just let it all out you pent up gremlin," Jon said, gaining a loving tut. He petted the other's black hair, working out the knots gently with his fingers. He was sure they were a living cliche. Enemies to friends. Maybe something more but he wouldn't tempt fate by thinking that far ahead. He didn't really want to admit that his care left the friend zone in any way. Besides, that wasn't the issue at hand right now so he pushed it to the back of his mind. 

"I suppose this could concern you. Rather, I could use a confidant right now," Damian confessed. He sniffled again and allowed himself to rest more weight on the super though that wasn't ever a problem. A few extra pounds was nothing compared to the cars that could be piled on top of the other without any issue. "Don't think you changed my mind in any way. You simply reminded me of a previous conclusion I put on the back burner."

"Whatever helps you sleep at night. You wanna keep hugging whilst we talk?" Damian gave a hesitant nod. "Alright. Go on ahead."

"Father and I had always had a rocky relationship so to speak. My very existence was born from his weakest moment. Yet there was still some sort of innate feeling I had that made me want him to care for me but he was gone before I could feel that," he began. He was slightly unsure of how to go about all this. He took after his father in the emotions department. For now, he was going with whatever fell from his mouth and hoped it made a lick of sense. Jon seemed to know what was going on. "Now I'm with Grayson and I feel that-that care that should've come from Father. He tells me Father cared but how can I believe that when he does everything a real father should that Father never did?" He paused before continuing. "I want to make sure Grayson's care remains and the only way I know how is to work. The more I work, the more that care is guaranteed but I'm-I'm tired." He flinched upon stuttering and let out a shaky sigh. He'd never said that aloud before. Any of it. 

"But Damian you don't need to work hard for that care. Not if it's real which I know it is. Even if it weren't, I care about you a whole lot. I know we've had our arguments and rivalry but I do care."

Damian pulled away, wiping his eyes with the back of his hand before locking them onto Jon's blue irises. "You care?" The taller laughed though not mockingly. 

"Of course! You think I'd be stood here for this long hugging you if I didn't?" He cupped Damian's cheek, running his thumb along his skin to wipe away the last of the tears. It wasn't often he got to see Damian cry. In fact, he could only name a handful of situations. 

"In some way, I care for you also. More so than I would my other colleagues."

"More than friends?" Jon asked hopefully. Damian smirked solemnly and took hold of the super's wrist.

"I'm afraid I'm unable to admit that right now. Things are already tough without complicating it with emotions other than platonic." That was all Jon needed or wanted to hear. He simply smiled kindly and nodded. He could wait. He was good at that. In time, they'd address it but he agreed that there was simply too much going on right now. Things would get complicated and neither would want to sabotage themselves before they even begin. 

"I understand. I'm still your friend though. I always will be."

"The feeling is indeed mutual," Damian responded. He yawned to himself softly, failing to hide it. Crying and admitting everything had zapped him of any leftover energy. 

"Let's get you to bed hm? I'll tell Dick we trained for longer if you like."

"I would."

Dick was on his way to bed when he decided to check in on his younger brother. He put his ear to the door to check if there was any sound but found it silent. Taking this as a sign they were asleep, he opened the door and found exactly what he expected. Damian was cuddled up to Jon, the latter snoring ever so softly. Their limbs were entangled beneath the covers and on the TV was the familiar Netflix "are you still watching" screen. He silently crept in and turned it off. On his way out, he noted Titus laying at the foot of Damian's bed. He smiled to himself and petted the sleeping canine before leaving the room. He then returned on the journey to his room, his mind already coming up with ways to use this memory as a form of blackmail. Sure he was glad Damian was sleeping but he was a brother first and it was his job to make sweet moments like this a bargaining chip.