"Tt, Grayson, you needn't pick me up from school. I shall walk myself home if Pennyworth is ill." Damian insisted through the comm, his voice filtered through the motorcycle helmet that was connected to his phone. Dick grinned, even if his little brother couldn't see it.

"Its okay little D, not that we had much going on down at work, just paperwork that needed to be done. I got one of my coworkers to cover for me." The elder explained, narrowly dodging a reckless driver, he was almost there. He eyes the security cameras that he knows from heart and turns through into a backstreet and speeding up.

"You are aware that I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself." Damian protests, not even commenting on the nickname. He sounded annoyed but there was a hint of fondness coating his voice, indecipherable chatter from other students acting as background music to his little brother's chirping.

"I know, but I wanted to pick you up anyway kiddo. Maybe stop and eat at some place on the way home. Alfie should rest for the time being." Dick swerves, avoiding the camera's glare as he bobbed and weaved across the pavement. Damian hummed in agreement. "I'll be there in less than 5 minutes."

He can practically see the slight mischief in Damian's emerald eyes as he challenges. "Do it in three." A wide Cheshire grin tugs on Dick's lips and his body sings at the challenge, momentarily forgetting all about what had conspired less than an hour ago. His voice is dark and seeping with trouble. "You're on."

He makes it in 2 minutes and 40 seconds, whooping when he managed to just slide by a tight corner unscathed -even if there were a few close calls that could've launched him off of his bike. His eyes narrow on the skate park just nearby Gotham Academy and with a daring grin, instead of taking the regular route he turns on a dime and heads for the wooden ramp. He flips the visor up, revealing his blue eyes and daring smirk.

The crowd of children hanging out cleared and watched in awe as Dick went full power towards it and flew up in the sky, doing a full spin in the air with his hands off of the motorcycle, his legs being the only thing keeping him safe. He flashes a showman's smile at the children and a small wink before grappling back onto the vehicle and landing just in front of the school, maneuvering to stop.

He winces as he realizes that he lightly scraped the bumper of the principal's car and turns to his little brother who seemed lightly amused albeit unfazed at his stunt. "Could've done better on the landing." Damian points out and Dick pulls the helmet off, letting his unruly hair swish in the air as he beamed at his brother. "Yeah, yeah. We'll practice it another time, now get your helmet and get on, its time for ice cream." He gets off the cycle and opens up the hidden compartment inside the bike, pulling out a helmet, a leather jacket and gloves. "Put these on."

Damian drops his backpack next to the motorcycle and starts equipping the stuff, taking off his Gotham academy blazer and tie and exchanging it for the gloves and jacket. The little bird grumbled about not needing the clothing but the elder ignored it. While his brother finished up Dick heaved the backpack and shoved it in the compartment, then gently folding up the blazer -knowing Alfred would kill him if he just threw it in- and placing it on top. He shuts the compartment and turns to Damian, seeing him fully ready.

"Y'ready?" He asks, holding his helmet under his arm. Damian raises an eyebrow and -being fluent in Damianese- he takes this as confirmation. Dick slings his legs back over his black, blue and red bike. Small arms wrap around his waist in a firm grip and he looks over his shoulder only to meet a faceful of helmet as Damian lets his head rest on his back.

His lips curl into a small, fond smile before turning back around and pushing his helmet back on. He secures it swiftly and starts revving the engine, taking off. He wasn't nearly as rushed as prior, Damian's silent breaths and his grip squeezing around his hips making him feel at peace and content which made his usually adrenaline seeking body mellow out and enjoy the moment.

He pulls up at a stoplight, feeling Damian shift to distribute weight on the cycle, he felt the urge to ruffle his little brother's hair but refrained until later -lest he take off his helmet cause he knew the little bird would take any chance to get it off. The light turns on and he turns right towards the petite restaurant he had gone to since he was a kid. He starts humming a tune, - Cloud Smiles from Final Fantasy; Advent Children- Damian surprisingly seems to recognize the song and starts humming along. Dick carefully taps the beat on the bike handles.

It was their little world, just Damian and Dick.

They arrive at the restaurant 'Birds' they called it, family run and homely as always. "We're here." Dick announces, as if his little brother couldn't see that. Damian doesn't reply, leaping off of the bike and Dick parks the cycle quickly, retrieving both of their helmets and opening the other compartment - which wasn't really hidden but it was still secure- and storing both of them inside.

The duo walk at the same pace. "Hey, I wanted to ask. Where have you heard that song? Its not something that's popular or anything." Dick mentioned, he knows for a fact Damian isn't much for video games -unless its something heavily strategic or battle based- so he wouldn't have known that song unless he played Final Fantasy.

Damian's expression didn't really change but with working with him for so long he knows he's a little embarrassed from the shift in weight from one leg to another. "After I had returned from my, vacation, I had chosen to go through your old belongings. I retrieved various CDs, tapes - among other things - therefore I had decided to listen to them. That, by far was my preferred melody." He explained, Dick felt the pit in his stomach grow, knowing what he referred to as his vacation. He ruffles his little brother's hair.

"I'm flattered little D, I always thought that video game instrumentals were pretty good music. Some of my favorite, actually. Did you listen to the Ocarina of Time soundtrack? I loved that game." Dick recommended, opening the door for an old lady and letting her pass before the both of them made their way inside.

The place was homely, the reception having a nice foyer with a large archway that gave entry to the rest of the establishment, the colour palette of the place was warm, giving the sensation of sitting in front of a fire during Christmas. There were murals of different kinds of bird painted upon the walls, wrens, storks, peafowls of different hues among many more but not a robin in sight.

"Welcome, for two, Mr. Grayson?" Elijah Gonzalez, business owner asked. He turns to him. "Yeah, can we get the usual area, Elijah?" Dick questioned, looking up at the birds that had been created with swipes of a brush. He could tell it mesmerized Damian just like him and the fact made a small, fond smile appear on his face. 

The business owner smiled as if he knew something that Dick didn't, he turns to him and raises an eyebrow. The man shakes his head, as if it was a silent way to tell him he was an idiot. "Of course Mr. Grayson, you're lucky you arrived before the rush hour." Elijah magically plucked two menus out of nowhere and ushered them to follow him. 

The deeper inside the restaurant went the more delighted and childishly curious Damian looked around, as if trying to commemorate every little detail to memory -and with his skills Dick doesn't doubt he could. Dick watched in a comfortable silence how Damian's face minutely moved but when even a glimmer of joy or wonder would appear on his face -if even for a brief second, most would think it an illusion- it would create a ball of warmth that nestled in his chest. His tiny expressions would be small to most but to Dick they spoke paragraphs and poems, sentences and novels.

He could write a whole Bible about how he loved -his son's- his brother's small tells that were louder than any delighted scream.

"Here's your table Mr. Grayson." Elijah snapped him out of his trance and Dick rolled his eyes. "Elijah, I think you've known me long enough to call me by my first name." He complains, in the corner of his eye he saw Damian slip into the booth, his eyes boring into the large mural on the wall. "

"Nonsense Grayson, who would want to address you by your 'nickname' it sounds vulgar. If anything Richard would suffice better. However, I can see that Gonzalez has better taste than most of Gotham therefore he shall call you by your last name." He can tell Damian isn't very interested in the conversation, to busy staring at the huge painting. 

"See, Mr. Wayne gets it." Elijah complains, guiding him to sit at the table and then sets down the two pamphlets with the menus. "I'll leave you to decide what you want." The business owner is about to walk away but he interrupts him with a smirk. "Can I get the chocolate milkshake and some water to drink." He orders, looking at Damian with a cheeky grin. "And get a vanilla milkshake and another water please." 

Elijah nods. "Alright, I'll leave you to decide what to eat." He wanders off and Damian opens his mouth to protest but Dick cuts him off before he can speak. "I got you the water just in case but the milkshakes here are amazing and I wasn't going to let you leave before you could try some." He explained with an amused tone. 

"I suppose I shall indulge for once in your strange beverage choices." Damian relents, not being able to do anything about it anyway and he couldn't help but be curious about the drink. "Thanks Lil D." Dick smiles and his eyes look towards the large mural that Damian had been staring at just a few seconds prior. Damian followed his gaze. 

 It was a large branch coming out of a Quercus robur tree that had grown into the cave. The camera perspective was angled to show both the tree and some of the cave's innards. Stalactites falling from the ceiling. The scene was not littered with many species of birds, instead there sat a small European robin, perched up on the branch. The bird was not bare and donned a Robin uniform, somehow having a little uniform and mask glued onto its face while still seeming realistic. The bird was not alone, a bat hanging from one of the stalagmites that hung above the branch, a Batman uniform donning the animal.  

A bluejay was in the air, soaring with a Nightwing uniform fitted square onto its little frame, statically in a state of joy. Its blue, white and black hues reflected onto a part of the cave from the sunlight, the colors bouncing off its feathers. An american robin stood proudly next to the hanging bat, a Red Robin uniform donning the bird. It was in the process of ruffling its feathers to the viewer. Lastly, a scarlet tanager flew away from the bat but towards the bluejay, almost playfully, it had a petite leather jacket not unlike Red Hood's with a helmet discarded on the branch. All the animals had masks of varying colours and designs on. 

"Its a shame they never did the rest of the family. I talked to Elijah about it but after their grandmother passed they hadn't updated the wall, she had been in the process of researching to create the other members before her passing." Dick informed grimly. "Its been layered countless times, there only existed a bat at first but then they added a robin, however after Nightwing flied in Bludhaven they created a bluejay and covered the old robin because it didn't reflect on the current one. They added and added for a while, if you look closely, you can still see a few old details." 

The eldest's eyes narrow and a small smile dons his face, his fingers feather light as he points to a patch that was now part of the cave but still held a red hue that was just barely noticeable. "This is where the first robin was." His touch danced to a small grave in the background. "This is for when J died. You could look at it for hours and still find new things to admire." Dick backs away and tears his eyes away from the mural, looking at Damian who hand't made a move to speak during the explanation, diligently paying attention. 

"Hey, if you even wanted you could even offer to help paint the others, I think you'd do a great job at it." Dick throws in the possibility and Damian seems to contemplate it for a moment. "I shall think about the possibility." 

"All right, moving on from the art we should probably start looking through the menu." Dick recommends and Damian tuts in agreement. They sift through the list in a comfortable silence, occasionally throwing in a small comment or asking the other about something mundane. Eventually, after some playful bickering, Elijah came back with their drinks and asked what they would like to order.

"I shall order a Tuscan portobello stew." Damian announced, Dick raised a small eyebrow and his little brother seemed to remember. "Please." A grin tugged on Dick's lips that Damian remembered -he hoped he had after trying to drill it into him and sometimes he still forgot but he was making progress- and turned to Elijah. "May I get the tortellini with tomato spinach cream sauce, please." The business owner seemed to become slightly amused at the silent grilling the boy endured before he said please. 

"The chefs'll get right on it." Elijah promised before scurrying off once again. Dick looks back at his little brother who stared at the milkshakes with equal parts curiosity and horror. "Tada! They're the best in town, I got you the vanilla cause I know you don't really like too much sweetness. You can still try mine if you want to though." 

Damian scrunches his nose at the thought of the chocolate milkshake and pulls his water towards himself in preparation. "I am no coward, I shall try both." He said with a hint of uncertainty in his tone but his face was completely void of any doubt. Dick decided to humor him. "Alright Lil D, which one do you want to try first?" 

The ex-assassin's hand gravitates towards the chocolate beverage, to Dick's eyes it was obvious that he wanted to get what he thought he would despise the most out of the way. He placed his lips on the edge of the glass and let a small quantity pass into his mouth. The boy's breath stuttered and Dick had half the mind to grab it from Damian before he choked or something but he refrained, patiently waiting until Damian separates from the milkshake and furrow his brows. 

"It is surprisingly sugary but bitter at the same time, however, I am not particularly fond of it." Dick shrugs his shoulders. "I'm not really surprised, that's why I got you the vanilla one, its a lot less sweet and is kinda the drink equivalent of ice cream." He grabs the chocolate shake and drags it over to himself, taking his own sip and sighing at how it cooled him.

Damian seemed to eye the vanilla one a bit more carefully, taking a sip of his glass of water in advance to cleanse his palate. Then he tugs on the plain shake and takes a gulp, and he could tell from his eyes that he liked that one far better. Damian separates after draining a mouthful of the drink. "This one is far more superior." He declared silently, seeming to relax just that bit more. 

A chuckle comes from Dick, whatever you say Lil D. He has another urge to ruffle his hair but he didn't want to disturb the peace that had settled between them both just -father and son- brothers enjoying each other's presence. It didn't take long for their food to arrive. The stew wafted a heavenly smell at the table and Dick's food almost made him drool at the sight. "Thanks Elijah." He acknowledged and Damian repeated the phrase, if only a bit more quiet. 

"No problem, if you need anything call me over." Elijah directed towards Dick which made him sheepishly grin. The man left and Damian, before digging in raised an eyebrow at the elder. "Why did he direct that statement to you?" 

Dick rubbed his neck, one of his tells. "One time I had accidentally spilled some of my very hot soup on myself, it only landed on my lap but I didn't tell anyone so when I asked to go to the bathroom he realized that I had burned myself, took me to the bathroom and gave me the supplies for a couple burns since they had a first aid kit. This was before I was Robin so grandma rose instructed me while I was in the stall how to treat the burns." 

Damian seemed slightly amused but gave no comment except for a smirk and a raise of eyebrows, he took a spoon and started to eat. Dick latched onto his fork and started to eat his meal. They shared their food with each other, the other curious about the other person's meal and its taste.

"I must ask Richard, why did you get something vegetarian? You usually prefer meat in your meals." Damian asked, pointing it out and Dick smiled softly. "Cause I thought I'd try it out, and if you got curious you could also try it as well, besides I've gotten all the meals with meat here so might as well try the vegetarian ones too." 

Damian seemed surprised but only gave tells that Dick -and Alfred- knew how to read. "That never bothered you before." He observed and Dick waited till he had swallowed what he had taken into his mouth while Damian spoke. "That was before I knew that it bothered you, if you asked, I would go vegetarian with you Lil D." He explained, taking some sips of his milkshake.

"Why?"

"Because I love you and if me going vegetarian with you makes you happy then I will." 

"Really?"

"Really."

__________________

That was how he surprised everyone next time he went to the manor, having studied up on being a vegetarian, a good diet that would still be able to keep up with his labor intensive life. Not only that but it was pretty satisfying watching as everyone observed that Damian and him were eating the same thing -even Alfred had indulging in the lifestyle to show support between the three of them.

__________________

Unfortunately, that same day was the day had to meet up with William Cobb, he was decked out in Nightwing ensemble, the joyful memories with Robin and Agent A that had been created a few hours prior still fresh in his mind.

Sadly, not even that could help the fact that looking at his biological grandfather was the equivalent of biting a thousand lemons. 

"I was curious if you were going to show up." He dramatically spoke, the fog from Gotham's pollution shrouding them in its embrace and making it seem like it was just both of them. Nightwing knew better than that. "You're late."

He bites back the urge to retort that he had never really established a certain time but Cobb was not one to be reasoned with at ll costs. "What? You think you're the only person who wants a piece of me?" He quipped, walking towards the enemy - against the will of his gut. 

"None at all, however, I thought you prioritized family, Gray Son." Cobb jabbed and this time the vigilante didn't shut up. "You are not my family." He growled, William turns his back on him, almost taunting that Nightwing knows he can't lay a finger on him.

Not yet at least.

"Then what are we? Strangers? Acquaintances? No, part of my ancestry through your veins unlike your little 'Bat-family'. We are of blood, after all, blood is thicker than water." William Cobb explained, his clothing whipping against the wind, raindrops hitting both of them straight on and Nightwing had to ignore the feeling of perfume and cinnamon that crawled up his nose and seemed to never want to leave. The hands that wandered but weren't actually there and the emotional turmoil that simmered underneath his skin. 

He wanted to take out his anger, his sadness, his misery but he couldn't cause he had to talk to William Cobb of all fucking people. 

"Blood doesn't mean anything to me." The vigilante had to curb the compulsion to thrown in a swear word for the hell of it but he had to maintain appearances. Swearing was Red Hood's thing but that doesn't mean he couldn't be bitter about the situation. 

"I know it doesn't, alas, you had expressed that before. But enough dillydallying, we must speak of our agreement." 

"Agreement? I haven't agreed to anything."

"You will, we both know that. The risk to your 'family' is too much for you to just stand by and let happen. It doesn't matter what you propose, as long as its not murder, you will comply."

He fucking knew, because that's exactly what'll happen. He could resist as much as he wanted but as long as his clan was in danger, he knew he'll crawl to Cobb's feet just for them to be protected. Even if murder was involved.

Silence dominates the rooftop once more, Nightwing doesn't bother breaking it.

"You shall be given time, when you are ready, you will come here and become our Talon, Gray Son." Anxiety claws at Nightwing's chest and he begs for this all to be over, to go to his Gotham apartment and let his demons crawl over him and consume him in its unholy inferno of misery and depression. 

"What if I don't come here?" He asks, wanting to know to some degree how much time he had before he would never see his family again so he could spend as much time with them as possible. So he could plan and scheme under the guise of looking for the people who were killing people left right and center. 

"You will." 

He hated that he was right, he hated that he had to do this but he wouldn't risk his ragtag family that's help up by trauma, guilt and a sense of loyalty to this hell ridden city. 

"I will."

__________

So that was the next installment of this book, we're getting closer to the end here, sorta halfway to go. I tried to go a bit more fluffy this chapter because I felt there was already a lot of angst last chapter.

Still, I hope you enjoyed.