[The thing about vulnerability was that people used it. Used it to manipulate him, to use him, to betray him. He'd learned that being vulnerable resulted in pain at far too early of an age and it was a lesson that his life hadn't let him forget.
But for as well as the lesson had been beaten in to him -literally and figuratively- he was still unable to completely turn off his emotions. He'd never been able to and it had caused more than one fight between himself and Bruce. Garzonas hadn't been the first fight, but his death had been the first real accusation. It had hurt almost as much as being stripped of Robin and his desperate attempt to find some kind of connection to anyone had ended in Sheila Haywood using his vulnerability to earn herself Joker's good graces.
Later, the Pit had stripped away what little control he did have, so when Talia started to tell him all about how he'd never been mourned and how he'd been so easily replaced, the anger had just festered. Time and space had helped ease some of her skillful manipulations, but it was still so very hard to let himself just be.
But he'd reached out to Dick. He'd taken that first tentative step forward, showed his throat in a proverbial surrender to the alpha. He had to trust him, right? More importantly, he wanted to trust him.
He didn't pull his arm away from that gentle touch as he sat back down, though he kept his gaze firmly on his hastily re-wrapped bagel.]
....you said you missed me. Last night, when I was wrapping your ribs. You said that you were glad I was here because you missed me.
[His voice was small, but thick with emotion and the younger man cleared his throat and frowned down at his table, but he let Dick keep his arm.]
no subject
But for as well as the lesson had been beaten in to him -literally and figuratively- he was still unable to completely turn off his emotions. He'd never been able to and it had caused more than one fight between himself and Bruce. Garzonas hadn't been the first fight, but his death had been the first real accusation. It had hurt almost as much as being stripped of Robin and his desperate attempt to find some kind of connection to anyone had ended in Sheila Haywood using his vulnerability to earn herself Joker's good graces.
Later, the Pit had stripped away what little control he did have, so when Talia started to tell him all about how he'd never been mourned and how he'd been so easily replaced, the anger had just festered. Time and space had helped ease some of her skillful manipulations, but it was still so very hard to let himself just be.
But he'd reached out to Dick. He'd taken that first tentative step forward, showed his throat in a proverbial surrender to the alpha. He had to trust him, right? More importantly, he wanted to trust him.
He didn't pull his arm away from that gentle touch as he sat back down, though he kept his gaze firmly on his hastily re-wrapped bagel.]
....you said you missed me. Last night, when I was wrapping your ribs. You said that you were glad I was here because you missed me.
[His voice was small, but thick with emotion and the younger man cleared his throat and frowned down at his table, but he let Dick keep his arm.]