SON OF BATMAN

"I just stepped out for a stroll, and now you can't even tell it's me?"

Damian's words hung in the air, a reminder of the time that had stretched between them. That "Stroll" he mentioned had lasted years, a long absence that had changed them both.

For Raven, those years had been filled with a heavy, relentless silence, the kind only broken by the phantoms of her own mind. Each day had stretched endlessly into the next, marked only by her father's taunts and her own desperate attempts to maintain the barriers that kept him contained. For Damian, the time away had altered him in ways that were impossible to miss, his hair, now white as snow, and his eyes, dark as the abyss, held a weight that hadn't been there before.

His touch was warm and steady, and for a moment, Raven's eyes widened, a flicker of doubt and hope battling in her gaze. She blinked rapidly, and it was as if the fog that had clouded her vision suddenly lifted. Her eyes focused, locking onto his with a clarity that hadn't been there before, as if truly seeing him for the first time since he'd appeared.

Tears welled up, shimmering in her violet eyes as she reached up to touch his face in return, her fingers brushing against his jaw, then his cheek, feeling the solid warmth of his skin beneath her trembling hand. Each touch seemed to confirm his reality, dispelling the ghostly memories of all the times she'd reached for phantoms only to have them dissolve beneath her fingers. A single tear slipped free, tracing a wet path down her pale cheek.

That single tear was quickly followed by another, and then another, until the tears began to flow freely, streaming down her face like a long-breached dam. Each tear seemed to carry the weight of the years she had spent alone, the silent battles she had fought, and the endless longing she had buried deep inside. They were tears of relief, of grief, of joy - emotions too complex to name, too powerful to contain.

Her shoulders shook as the tears fell faster, her breathing hitching with the overwhelming rush of emotion she could no longer contain. The walls she'd built around her heart over the years crumbled like sand castles before a rising tide.

"Damian…" she breathed, her voice barely more than a whisper. A sob caught in her throat as the reality of his presence hit her all at once. In a sudden, desperate motion, she jerked forward, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. Her frail form pressed against him, clinging to him as if she feared he might vanish at any moment, like morning mist before the sun.

Damian didn't hesitate. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her close as her body shuddered with sobs. Her face was buried against his shoulder, and her tears soaked into his shirt as she cried, her entire frame trembling with the force of her emotions. His embrace was firm yet gentle, protective yet tender - a sanctuary formed of flesh and bone.

"Damian..." she repeated, her voice breaking, her words tumbling out between ragged breaths. "How… How are you here? Are you… Are you really here?" Her grip tightened around him, her sobs coming harder, more desperate, the pent-up pain of years pouring out all at once like a river breaking through a dam.

Damian's hand moved soothingly up and down her back, his voice a steady reassurance against the storm of her grief. "Yes, Raven," he said, his tone gentle but firm, like steel wrapped in silk. "I'm here. Just calm yourself first. I'm not going anywhere." He pulled her even closer, as if trying to shield her from the pain of her own mind.

Raven sobbed harder, clinging to him like a lifeline, the years of fear, loneliness, and exhaustion crashing over her in waves. "I thought… I thought I'd never see you again," she choked out, her words muffled against his shoulder, her fingers clutching at the fabric of his shirt as if anchoring herself to the reality of his presence, each handful of cloth a desperate attempt to prove this wasn't another dream.

Damian held her tighter, his own expression softening, his dark eyes filled with a rare tenderness. The endless black of his gaze seemed to warm, like obsidian catching the light. He let her cry, let her release the weight of years of solitude, whispering quiet reassurances as he stroked her hair, his heart aching at the sight of her broken state.

"I'm here now," he repeated softly, his voice a vow. "And I'm not leaving you again."

Raven's sobs echoed in the still air, her frail body trembling against Damian's steady form. Each ragged breath she took seemed to resonate, filling the silence between them with the rawness of emotions too long suppressed.

Damian held her close, his hand gently running through her hair, his presence unyielding and strong, as if to shield her from everything that had broken her. His fingers traced patterns of comfort through her violet strands, each stroke a silent promise of protection.

Suddenly, Raven's eyes widened as reality crashed down around her.

She twisted in Damian's arms, turning to face the familiar nightmare that loomed behind them, the towering, demonic figure of Trigon, bound in chains that pulsed and rattled, some already broken and hanging loose. It was a sight she had seen countless times, a constant reminder of her endless struggle, and it sent a jolt of panic racing through her.

With a burst of panic-fueled strength, she pushed against Damian's chest, her hands trembling, desperation lacing her every movement.

"No," she gasped, her voice urgent and ragged, filled with desperation. "I don't know how you got in here, but you have to go! You can't be here!" She twisted in his arms, struggling to break free, to put distance between them, her breaths coming fast and shallow. Her gaze darted around as if expecting the shadows themselves to spring to life and swallow them whole.

But Damian didn't let go. He tightened his hold around her, his arms an unbreakable cage, pulling her closer even as she thrashed in his grip. His eyes, calm and determined, locked onto hers, refusing to let her slip away.

She beat her fists against him, tears streaming down her face, but he remained silent, his eyes never leaving hers. They were steady and intense, dark pools of calm amidst her storm of fear. He held her gaze with an unwavering intensity, his silence speaking louder than words ever could.

As Raven pushed desperately against Damian's chest, her fear driving her to escape, she twisted around once more to look behind her, her heart pounding with the terror of what might come next.