Fic: Not Quite Sibling Rivalry
Title: Not Quite Sibling Rivalry
Characters: Steph Brown, Damian Wayne
Rating: PG
Warnings: Damian being a woobie
Word Count: too many for an LJ comment
Author's Notes: Band!AU. Takes place after Old Wounds. Written for munnin's comment fic prompt Steph & Damian, the cuts on her hand"
Steph cursed as the plate she was holding clattered to the ground, smashing into shards. She pressed her hand to her mouth, touching her lips to the stitches in her hand.
"Are you okay?" Damian asked as he carefully picked up the pieces of broken plate.
Steph crouched down to help him, but he shooed her away until he had all the pieces and had dumped them in the bin. Steph pouted at him but let him finish.
"I'm fine, it just hurts," Steph frowned at her hand. The wounds had started to heal but occasionally she'd get a twinge of pain.
"You should be more careful, if you keep over exerting yourself it won't heal properly," Damian warned.
Steph raised an eyebrow, "Fixing myself dinner isn't over exerting myself."
"It is when you have seven stitches in your hand," Damian scolded her, Steph poked out her tongue, "Don't touch anything, I'll get you something."
Steph hopped up on the bench, her heels kicking against the cupboards until Damian glowered at her, and then she sat still with her hands folded in her lap. Damian grabbed a new plate, opened the fridge and rummaged through their leftovers. Alfred always purposefully made too much food, so they could stick the leftovers in the fridge and have them for another night. Damian chose a container of pasta and veggies, dishing up a serving onto Steph's plate and heating it up in the microwave.
When it was done Damian set the plate down on the table, accompanied by cutlery and a glass of iced tea. He pulled the chair out and with a slight flourish, motioned to the empty seat.
"Your dinner is served Miss Brown," Damian said in a perfect imitation of Alfred's voice.
"Okay, that was creepy," Steph commented.
Damian shrugged, "I have a knack for intimations."
"I'm surprised you don't use it to sing," Steph said.
"Oh. I don't- hmm. I dislike the spotlight. It makes me uncomfortable," Damian explained, blushing lightly.
"Well now we've found at least one way you take after your father instead of Dick," Steph said.
Damian went silent and thoughtful, so Steph decided not to press it; instead finishing her meal in the quiet that had settled between them.
When Steph finished she went to take her plate to the sink but before she was even standing up Damian had spirited out of her hands and placed it on the bench. Steph rolled her eyes at him and got up with her glass to rinse it out, but Damian stole that from her too, so Steph was left staring out the window.
"OMIGOD!" she squeaked when she stopped staring aimlessly and actually looked.
"What's wrong?" Damian turned to her with wide eyes.
She pointed outside, "It's snowing!"
Damian peered out the window, "It would appear so."
Steph grinned at him and disappeared out of the kitchen into her bedroom. She rifled through the clothes on her floor until she found a warm hoodie and a decent pair of shoes. She pulled them both on quickly and then ran to the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Damian called from the doorway of the kitchen.
"Outside! It's snowing!" Steph repeated.
"You realise that outside this apartment is just streets right?" Damian asked with a sardonic look.
Steph's face fell, "Oh yeah, dammit."
She looked up to see Damian smiling conspiratorially. She stalked up to him slowly and glared at him.
"What are you plotting?" Steph questioned.
"The rooftop will be empty and there's plenty of room for the snow to fall and you won't get hit by a car," Damian told her, his smile widening.
Steph punched him on the shoulder, "You're the best! Come on let's go!"
Damian looked at her as if she'd sprouted an extra head, but he shook it off and disappeared into his room. He appeared a few seconds later wearing a thick coat.
Steph opened the window and swung herself out onto the balcony. Damian followed her out and they stood together on the rickety balcony, looking up at the falling snow. Steph stuck out her tongue to catch a few flakes, and Damian shook his head at her.
"Are you alright to make it up to the roof? Your hand isn't troubling you that much is it?" Damian asked with a concerned tone.
"Stop fussing, I'll be fine," Steph nudged her shoulder against his and then stretched up to grab hold of the top of the window.
She made her way up the side of the building, taking advantage of window ledges, balconies and pipes to make the climb easier. She didn't fail to notice the way Damian shadowed her every move, watching to make sure she didn't fall.
By the time they reached the top there was already a decent covering of snow on the roof. Steph sprinted across the rooftop, happy to feel the air cool air in her lungs. She'd started to feel a little cooped up in the apartment after so long, and it was nice to have all the older boys away for a while. She kicked up snow and flipped over any obstacles and generally acted like a little kid seeing snow for the first time.
When she stopped to catch her breath she saw Damian watching her. His gaze watchful but not intense. Steph smiled at him brightly.
"You just going to stand there Bat-Brat?" Steph teased.
"I'm a bit old for playing in the snow," Damian responded, folding his arms across his chest.
"Aww come on! Have a little fun!" She ran up to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him after her as she danced across the snow.
Damian squeaked in protest but gave up struggling after only a few seconds and followed behind her diligently. She tugged him around in a circle and then flopped to the ground, dragging him with her.
His eyes were bright and his smile soft but genuine when he looked over at her.
"Ever made a snow angel?" Steph asked.
"I have not," Damian answered.
Steph gaped at him, "Your childhood was seriously deprived. I mean, sure, you can disarm a pack of ninjas from thirty feet away, but you've never made a snow angel, it's disgraceful!"
Damian rolled his eyes at her but he did start waving his arms to brush the snow away and make the wings. Steph nodded, pleased, and then looked pointedly at his legs. Damian sighed and scissored his legs to make the bottom of the angel. Steph mimicked his actions, making her own angel in the snow.
"Now I have made a snow angel, are you content?" Damian said.
"Yeah, yeah I am," Steph said softly and Damian's responding smile was warm and gentle.
They stayed together in the snow for a while, watching the snow fall on their faces. After a few minutes Damian reached out and linked his fingers through Steph's. When she turned to look at him he was still gazing straight up, but there was a worried look on his face, so she squeezed his hand and the tense expression was replaced with a faint smile.
When the snow started getting so heavy on Steph that it was dripping down her hoodie, she sprang up without warning, Damian's hand still in hers, which earned her a protesting squawk. as he was dragged up to.
"Come on, we'll catch a cold if we stay up here much longer," Steph told him as she let go of his hand so she could climb back down to their window.
"You are aware that you can't actually catch a cold from being cold right?" Damian called after her.
"Yeah yeah I know, it's a figure of speech," Steph shot back.
She heard Damian 'tt' at her, but he made no other response so she continued down the building until she reached their balcony. Damian jumped down next to her a few seconds later and they both crawled inside.
Steph unzipped her jacket and chucked it into the bathtub, letting the snow drip down the drain. Damian followed suit, shrugging off his own jacket and kicking his shoes off as well and then disappearing into his room to get changed.
Steph made her way into her room, stripping off as she went and leaving the wet clothes in a pile by the door before pulling on a warm pair of jeans and a tee. She walked back into the living room to see Damian very studiously not looking in her direction at all. She approached slowly, giving him time to move away if he wanted. He shivered when she stepped close.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
"Just cold," he replied quickly.
Steph wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a close hug. Damian went completely still.
"It's okay, you can hug me," Steph murmured but Damian didn't move.
"I can't- You should let me go please," Damian stuttered, his hands clenched at his sides.
Steph frowned, but he released him, and he practically bolted into his room, closing the door behind him. Steph waited for a few moments, but when she heard something being smashed inside the room she walked up to the door.
"Damian?" she called through the closed door, and the room went silent, "I know what this is about."
The door swung open, revealing a wide eyed Damian, "No you don't. Please leave me alone."
Steph grabbed his wrist before he could shut the door again, "It's okay to feel the way you do, no one is judging you. Not in this family."
"You're my sister," Damian muttered darkly, his cheeks burning red.
"And you're my brother, and I love you like a brother. But that doesn't mean what you feel is wrong," Steph assured him, her expression soft.
Damian's expression was distressed, his lips tight and his eyes full of pain and anger. He turned away from Steph, but left the door open.
Steph stepped into Damian's room and followed him to his neatly made bed. When he lay down on top of it, his face to the wall and his back to her, Steph joined him, curling against his back and pulling him against her.
She heard him sigh and felt him press back against her, but he made no move other than that. Steph slung an arm around his waist and pressed her forehead to his shoulder.
"It'll be okay. We'll be okay," Steph whispered to him.
Damian didn't reply, and as Steph waited for him to say something she realised that his breathing had evened out and his eyes were closed.
"Sleep well baby bird," she murmured, and closed her eyes.
Characters: Steph Brown, Damian Wayne
Rating: PG
Warnings: Damian being a woobie
Word Count: too many for an LJ comment
Author's Notes: Band!AU. Takes place after Old Wounds. Written for munnin's comment fic prompt Steph & Damian, the cuts on her hand"
Steph cursed as the plate she was holding clattered to the ground, smashing into shards. She pressed her hand to her mouth, touching her lips to the stitches in her hand.
"Are you okay?" Damian asked as he carefully picked up the pieces of broken plate.
Steph crouched down to help him, but he shooed her away until he had all the pieces and had dumped them in the bin. Steph pouted at him but let him finish.
"I'm fine, it just hurts," Steph frowned at her hand. The wounds had started to heal but occasionally she'd get a twinge of pain.
"You should be more careful, if you keep over exerting yourself it won't heal properly," Damian warned.
Steph raised an eyebrow, "Fixing myself dinner isn't over exerting myself."
"It is when you have seven stitches in your hand," Damian scolded her, Steph poked out her tongue, "Don't touch anything, I'll get you something."
Steph hopped up on the bench, her heels kicking against the cupboards until Damian glowered at her, and then she sat still with her hands folded in her lap. Damian grabbed a new plate, opened the fridge and rummaged through their leftovers. Alfred always purposefully made too much food, so they could stick the leftovers in the fridge and have them for another night. Damian chose a container of pasta and veggies, dishing up a serving onto Steph's plate and heating it up in the microwave.
When it was done Damian set the plate down on the table, accompanied by cutlery and a glass of iced tea. He pulled the chair out and with a slight flourish, motioned to the empty seat.
"Your dinner is served Miss Brown," Damian said in a perfect imitation of Alfred's voice.
"Okay, that was creepy," Steph commented.
Damian shrugged, "I have a knack for intimations."
"I'm surprised you don't use it to sing," Steph said.
"Oh. I don't- hmm. I dislike the spotlight. It makes me uncomfortable," Damian explained, blushing lightly.
"Well now we've found at least one way you take after your father instead of Dick," Steph said.
Damian went silent and thoughtful, so Steph decided not to press it; instead finishing her meal in the quiet that had settled between them.
When Steph finished she went to take her plate to the sink but before she was even standing up Damian had spirited out of her hands and placed it on the bench. Steph rolled her eyes at him and got up with her glass to rinse it out, but Damian stole that from her too, so Steph was left staring out the window.
"OMIGOD!" she squeaked when she stopped staring aimlessly and actually looked.
"What's wrong?" Damian turned to her with wide eyes.
She pointed outside, "It's snowing!"
Damian peered out the window, "It would appear so."
Steph grinned at him and disappeared out of the kitchen into her bedroom. She rifled through the clothes on her floor until she found a warm hoodie and a decent pair of shoes. She pulled them both on quickly and then ran to the door.
"Where do you think you're going?" Damian called from the doorway of the kitchen.
"Outside! It's snowing!" Steph repeated.
"You realise that outside this apartment is just streets right?" Damian asked with a sardonic look.
Steph's face fell, "Oh yeah, dammit."
She looked up to see Damian smiling conspiratorially. She stalked up to him slowly and glared at him.
"What are you plotting?" Steph questioned.
"The rooftop will be empty and there's plenty of room for the snow to fall and you won't get hit by a car," Damian told her, his smile widening.
Steph punched him on the shoulder, "You're the best! Come on let's go!"
Damian looked at her as if she'd sprouted an extra head, but he shook it off and disappeared into his room. He appeared a few seconds later wearing a thick coat.
Steph opened the window and swung herself out onto the balcony. Damian followed her out and they stood together on the rickety balcony, looking up at the falling snow. Steph stuck out her tongue to catch a few flakes, and Damian shook his head at her.
"Are you alright to make it up to the roof? Your hand isn't troubling you that much is it?" Damian asked with a concerned tone.
"Stop fussing, I'll be fine," Steph nudged her shoulder against his and then stretched up to grab hold of the top of the window.
She made her way up the side of the building, taking advantage of window ledges, balconies and pipes to make the climb easier. She didn't fail to notice the way Damian shadowed her every move, watching to make sure she didn't fall.
By the time they reached the top there was already a decent covering of snow on the roof. Steph sprinted across the rooftop, happy to feel the air cool air in her lungs. She'd started to feel a little cooped up in the apartment after so long, and it was nice to have all the older boys away for a while. She kicked up snow and flipped over any obstacles and generally acted like a little kid seeing snow for the first time.
When she stopped to catch her breath she saw Damian watching her. His gaze watchful but not intense. Steph smiled at him brightly.
"You just going to stand there Bat-Brat?" Steph teased.
"I'm a bit old for playing in the snow," Damian responded, folding his arms across his chest.
"Aww come on! Have a little fun!" She ran up to him and grabbed his hand, pulling him after her as she danced across the snow.
Damian squeaked in protest but gave up struggling after only a few seconds and followed behind her diligently. She tugged him around in a circle and then flopped to the ground, dragging him with her.
His eyes were bright and his smile soft but genuine when he looked over at her.
"Ever made a snow angel?" Steph asked.
"I have not," Damian answered.
Steph gaped at him, "Your childhood was seriously deprived. I mean, sure, you can disarm a pack of ninjas from thirty feet away, but you've never made a snow angel, it's disgraceful!"
Damian rolled his eyes at her but he did start waving his arms to brush the snow away and make the wings. Steph nodded, pleased, and then looked pointedly at his legs. Damian sighed and scissored his legs to make the bottom of the angel. Steph mimicked his actions, making her own angel in the snow.
"Now I have made a snow angel, are you content?" Damian said.
"Yeah, yeah I am," Steph said softly and Damian's responding smile was warm and gentle.
They stayed together in the snow for a while, watching the snow fall on their faces. After a few minutes Damian reached out and linked his fingers through Steph's. When she turned to look at him he was still gazing straight up, but there was a worried look on his face, so she squeezed his hand and the tense expression was replaced with a faint smile.
When the snow started getting so heavy on Steph that it was dripping down her hoodie, she sprang up without warning, Damian's hand still in hers, which earned her a protesting squawk. as he was dragged up to.
"Come on, we'll catch a cold if we stay up here much longer," Steph told him as she let go of his hand so she could climb back down to their window.
"You are aware that you can't actually catch a cold from being cold right?" Damian called after her.
"Yeah yeah I know, it's a figure of speech," Steph shot back.
She heard Damian 'tt' at her, but he made no other response so she continued down the building until she reached their balcony. Damian jumped down next to her a few seconds later and they both crawled inside.
Steph unzipped her jacket and chucked it into the bathtub, letting the snow drip down the drain. Damian followed suit, shrugging off his own jacket and kicking his shoes off as well and then disappearing into his room to get changed.
Steph made her way into her room, stripping off as she went and leaving the wet clothes in a pile by the door before pulling on a warm pair of jeans and a tee. She walked back into the living room to see Damian very studiously not looking in her direction at all. She approached slowly, giving him time to move away if he wanted. He shivered when she stepped close.
"You okay?" she asked softly.
"Just cold," he replied quickly.
Steph wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him into a close hug. Damian went completely still.
"It's okay, you can hug me," Steph murmured but Damian didn't move.
"I can't- You should let me go please," Damian stuttered, his hands clenched at his sides.
Steph frowned, but he released him, and he practically bolted into his room, closing the door behind him. Steph waited for a few moments, but when she heard something being smashed inside the room she walked up to the door.
"Damian?" she called through the closed door, and the room went silent, "I know what this is about."
The door swung open, revealing a wide eyed Damian, "No you don't. Please leave me alone."
Steph grabbed his wrist before he could shut the door again, "It's okay to feel the way you do, no one is judging you. Not in this family."
"You're my sister," Damian muttered darkly, his cheeks burning red.
"And you're my brother, and I love you like a brother. But that doesn't mean what you feel is wrong," Steph assured him, her expression soft.
Damian's expression was distressed, his lips tight and his eyes full of pain and anger. He turned away from Steph, but left the door open.
Steph stepped into Damian's room and followed him to his neatly made bed. When he lay down on top of it, his face to the wall and his back to her, Steph joined him, curling against his back and pulling him against her.
She heard him sigh and felt him press back against her, but he made no move other than that. Steph slung an arm around his waist and pressed her forehead to his shoulder.
"It'll be okay. We'll be okay," Steph whispered to him.
Damian didn't reply, and as Steph waited for him to say something she realised that his breathing had evened out and his eyes were closed.
"Sleep well baby bird," she murmured, and closed her eyes.