QOTC: angst or fluff?
AOTC: angst all the way, bruh.
~~~

   Everyone is broken.

   Everyone has a small part of them that consistently tries to convince them things that aren't true; invasive thoughts that corrupt their minds. Everyone has that one thing they knew they should, or shouldn't have, done. Everyone has at least one person they know they never should've let go of. Or one person they should've let go of earlier than they did.

   Other people, the unlucky people, are born to be broken. Born simply to be used, then destroyed. They're born with a legacy. They're born and, automatically, it was set that they would be broken. It was never their fault. It was only their harsh, cruel fate that was set.

   The broken wouldn't talk about it. They'd bottle it up inside them and mask their true feelings with forced smiles and laughs, never releasing the true and everlasting pain they felt inside from being so hurt.

   Both Raven and Damian were one of those people.

   Of course, they didn't laugh at all. But they masked it nonetheless. The both of them, most of the time, showed indifference at anything anyone was talking about.

   Inside, though, they were both hurting.

   Raven, hurting over her father and how he had almost used her. Had it not been for discovering Kori and the rest of the Teen Titans, she most definitely would've been unable to defeat Trigon on her own.

   Damian, hurting over his own heritage. His grandfather and how he was supposed to rule the world alongside him. He thought about that enough to assume that he wasn't going to rule anything. Ra's would've used Damian to quickly rise to the top, then disregard him. Maybe even kill Damian.

   Both were things they thought about often. They'd get lost in their own heads about it. But they never came out and talked about it. Both were afraid of not being understood and possibly even being isolated or kicked out for those revelations.

   The two could hear each other's thoughts on this. Their mental connection enabled for that to happen. But none of them chose to speak to the other about it. Their relationship was complicated enough, he did not want to complicate it even more than it already was by reaching out to her. And she knew he wouldn't say anything on it if she did. He was, after all, a very reserved person.

   But that was only until one specific day that would change the both of them and how they thought and felt about each other.

*   *   *

   "You know, you think a lot." Raven spoke suddenly, standing in the frame of the door leading to his room.

   "What's your point?" Damian sneered. He didn't look away from his case file.

   "My point is that you have a very interesting mind process." She shrugged, "We're very similar."

   He scoffed, "We are not. Look at you, then look at me. Clearly, I am much more superior."

   "We were both created with the sole purpose to rule the world."

   "Yes. The single thing I have in common with you, witch girl."

   "We were both meant to be discarded after giving our creators what they wanted. We were betrayed by our own families. We both don't know who we are in the world without that part of ourselves. We both disassociate ourselves from the group, in fear of getting too close and ending up being disowned. We both are terrified of commitment." Raven crossed her arms, "Need I go on?"

   Damian refused to look away from the case, but he stopped typing and just stared at the screen. He didn't know what to say. The only other person who was ever able to break his code was Alfred, "What do you want?"

   "A friend, Damian."

   Damian also did not expect that answer. He was aware on how insufferable he was. He didn't think anyone would ever willingly associate themselves with him. Raven clearly understood him, and he thought he could understand Raven too, for the most part. So he gave a small smile at her, put the computer off to his side, and patted the spot on his bed next to him, indicating for her to sit down.

   "Then friends it is."