Big thanks to FandomTrash257, beamerboyx and PNGonzalez for helping me with these stories - we decided that the two ideas were quite similar so they should be put in the same chapter so reverse batfam lovers and normal batfam lovers alike may enjoy an angsty story :) 

TRIGGER WARNING: THERE WILL BE SELF HARM IN THIS CHAPTER

https://www.supportline.org.uk/problems/self-injury-and-self-harm/

https://www.mind.org.uk/information-support/types-of-mental-health-problems/self-harm/useful-contacts/

1. Normal batfam

"Grayson, what's that?" Damian asked. He pointed at the older's upper thigh that was now visible as Dick changed into shorts. They were just about to begin training when the younger noticed the odd white lines along his skin. He couldn't quite work out what they were from since the placement was so odd and the lines seemed clean. Dick glanced to where he was pointing and frowned at himself. "They're scars Dami."

"I'm aware but what're they from?" He didn't like the change in demeanor Dick displayed. Normally he was so open about everything but now he seemed reserved. He tried to figure out what the problem was but his mind went blank. "They're from me." The older pulled up his shorts and busied himself with wrapping his knuckles. Damian took a pause before trying to come to terms with the answer. "Why would you do that?" he asked, perplexed. He watched as the acrobat got more and more uncomfortable before he finally let out a sigh. 

"Do you really want to know?" He nodded. Dick sat down and gestured for the younger to join him. It was quiet for a moment. "When I was younger, I felt guilty for the death of my parents. I felt like I should've gone with them but then I was so scared of death because God knows how painful it was for them. Bless their souls," he began. He glanced down to where the aforementioned scars were. "So I did what I thought to be a compromise. I'd hurt myself."

"But you wore shorts as a child, did you not?" Damian asked.

"I did. When I did it, I was in the shower and I couldn't tell where my shorts would cover things up or not. One day, they didn't. Bruce noticed and I got help," he explained. Damian looked visibly upset upon hearing the story behind it. He almost regretted asking. Almost. 

"How long since.." his sentence trailed off but the acrobat got what he was trying to say.

"Four years. It's possible to relapse but I don't tend to think about that," he replied.

"I didn't expect you to be... to do that to yourself." Dick chuckled to himself and glanced up from the spot on his leg where his stare could bore a hole into his skin. 

"There's a lot you don't expect from me, Damian. I lot went into the person I am today and I'm sad to say that not all of that was good. Nonetheless, you don't need to worry about all that."

That conversation haunted Damian for weeks after. He always trusted his senses but they'd failed to pick up on this. It may not have happened for four years but he should've noticed that there was some sort of self-destructive tendency deep down. He was thinking about it when he was waiting on going somewhere with Dick. They were supposed to be at the mall by now but he was still stuck in the living room of the manor, tapping his foot. "What's he doing that's keeping him so long?" he complained to Alfred.

"I think he's in the shower, sir. You know how he can be. Once he has his music on he's in a world of his own," the butler responded, dusting off some nearby ornaments. He didn't know why he bothered with the task sometimes since hardly anybody came over nowadays. Damian sort of shrugged off the answer until he realized what he said. Dick was in the shower. He used to do it in the shower. His senses had failed him once but they weren't going to fail him again. He jumped to his feet and rushed upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. He skidded a little when he got to the landing but that didn't stop him dashing to the older's bedroom. His hand gripped the doorknob and he fell through as he swung the door open. His eyes darted around the room. Dick was still in the shower. He had to stop him before he did something awful to himself. His Nightwing suit covered much more so maybe he'd go back to doing it because he wouldn't be caught so easily. Dick was insufferable sometimes but he was the closest thing Damian had to a father figure and he didn't want to lose that. He burst into the bathroom, ignoring the Lady Gaga song that was playing at top volume and the eventual shriek of terror from his older sibling. Dick pulled the shower curtain to the side a little, trying to cover most of his body, and wore a furious expression. "What the hell is wrong with you? Get out!"

"But you said-" 

"Get out! Now!" Damian heeded to the order and walked out, shutting the door behind him, but he didn't leave the room. He'd expected Dick to be mad but this was for his own welfare. He could be mad at being caught in the act since guilt and shame normally cultivated into anger. He'd find out soon enough and Dick will be better for it.

The shower turned off a few moments later and Dick stepped out the bathroom with a towel around his waist. He took a deep breath when he saw Damian and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I know I'm going to regret asking but why did you run into the bathroom whilst I was in the shower?" he inquired in an exasperated tone. Damian looked at him as though the answer was so obvious it may as well be written on his forehead. 

"When you explained your history of self-harm you said you used to do it in the shower. You were late for our outing and you were in the shower. With your newer suit you will be able to cover up any evidence so I came up to prevent that evidence being created," he answered. Dick's expression softened and for a moment he seemed genuinely touched by what he'd done. That was only for a moment though since he really needed to get serious here. He couldn't have the younger breaking down his bathroom door every time he needed a shower. There were some traumas he'd like to spare the kid of and seeing him naked was one of them. "I get where you're coming from, I really do, but you can't just invade my privacy like that," he stated.

"But how else am I supposed to know when you're doing it?" Damian asked. He was quite innocent in the topic and Dick knew his intentions were pure but he was getting frustrated. He didn't like talking about these things especially with someone this young. It felt like he was putting the idea into his head that it could be an option when it really shouldn't be. "You're not supposed to. This isn't something that you should know about. This is the sort of thing that when an adult does it they tell an adult and when a kid does it they tell an adult. It's not supposed to be the other way around," he attempted to explain. He tried to make it as clear as possible so the younger got the message. 

"Well, I think that's rather stupid."

"And why's that?"

"Because I'm just as mature as any adult and you're just as immature as any child. Furthermore, that limits your options and creates a stigma around it. You are my foster sibling at the end of the day and from my limited knowledge siblings share things along the lines of this," he stated.

The room went quiet as Dick thought through what to say. Finally, he decided upon something. "I appreciate your concern but you've gotta understand my health isn't your responsibility. I have helplines, I have people I can talk to. You don't need to shoulder my burden or else there'll be no room for you own," he said. "I care about you Damian and that's why I'm insisting that you don't take the task of keeping me clean upon yourself." The younger huffed to himself. 

"You're treating me like a child."

"That's because you are. I'm not. I've learned to handle my own problems which makes me able to take on yours. You taking on my baggage is too much. I know you're not used to being treated like a kid but that's what you are," Dick clarified. He sat beside Damian and put a hand on his shoulder. "I've been clean for years and nothing is going to stop me fighting to stay that way. You're one of the reasons. I'm not going anywhere so you don't need to worry about me." The younger looked up at him.

"You better not leave me, Grayson. I'll resurrect and kill you if you do." The acrobat chuckled and nodded. He didn't doubt that Damian would somehow find a way to do that. 

"Still up for going to the mall?"

"Indeed. It's rather necessary we go."

"Then get out of my room so I can get some clothes on. Huh, I don't normally tell people to leave when I get naked-" Damian shot up and walked out quickly, much to his brother's amusement. He wasn't such a bad kid after all.

2. Reverse Batfam - basically Damian is twenties and Dick is early teens

It was silent in Dick's room. He was so used to some sort of sound around him, even when everyone was asleep, but it was always silent in his room. He didn't like it when it was silent because then he'd hear the whispers stir in his mind. He tried to yell at them to shut up but they just got louder. He really couldn't control anything. He couldn't do anything. He was just a pathetic helpless little kid. Hopeless. That's what he was. A person that has nothing in life and all his dreams were dead ends. Somehow everything was blocked off to him. Dick felt himself begin to shake so he tried to grab his hands to keep them still at least. They weren't stopping. His breath was leaving faster than he could suck in so he tried to do those stupid breathing techniques some guard had once told him. His breathing didn't even. He knew what he had to do next but he couldn't do it here. They'd welcomed him into their home. He couldn't turn their bathroom into a slip and slide of red. Still, he knew it was the only thing to make it stop before he got too far. Something wet dripped down his face. He needed to make a decision but how was he supposed to when everything was so deafeningly silent with only the sound of blood pumping in his ears. Why couldn't he control this? He wanted to stop this but it wouldn't stop. Why couldn't he stop it? Everything was so unfair and he couldn't do anything about it. "Grayson?" Dick's eyes shot up from the blank space he'd been glaring into and stared at the older. He was holding a pile of jumpers, most of them black but one was a dark green colour like camo. Damian placed down the clothes and knelt down in front of the young acrobat. He took hold of his wrists to keep his focus and kept eye contact. "You need to calm down. Copy how I'm breathing. Don't try to speak just copy me." He exaggerated his breathing so it was easier for Dick to copy. 

Apart from the few hiccups from crying, he managed to get the rhythm. He swallowed dryly before squeezing his eyes shut to get rid of the last of the tears. "What's brought this on?" Damian inquired.

"You don't want to know," he responded. The older hummed and went to let go of his wrists when he noticed the white lines anyone fears to see on a loved one. 

"It doesn't normally get this far does it?" he asked, trying to remain calm. He let go of his wrist but he still knelt in front of him. Dick nodded. "Is that because you do something to stop?" He nodded. "Is that thing you do harmful to yourself?"

"It's the only thing I can control," he answered.

"You can also treat yourself with the respect you deserve," Damian told him. "You were out of control for a long time but you've got more control now. Just as you have the control to hurt yourself, you can control not doing it and you'll be better for it."

"I guess so," Dick responded.

"I'll help you if situations like this occur but you've got to come to me as I'm not a mind reader." The younger nodded. "I came in here to give you some jumpers so let's see if they fit."

A few weeks later, Damian went into Dick's room looking for some painkillers. He didn't have any himself since he was fresh out but he was sure there had been some in the younger's medicine cabinet the last time he'd been in there. The room was empty when he walked in and there was no one in the bathroom so he just walked in. He opened up the mirror and found what he was looking for. As he was closing it to turn away, he noticed something on the counter. A razor. It was a nice one too. One where the blade could be taken out... He wouldn't, would he? Damian was his help now so if he felt bad he would've come to him, right? He snatched it up off the counter, discarding the pills, and searched it for any specks of discoloration. There was nothing noticeable but that didn't mean he didn't do anything. He gripped it tightly and almost felt angry that it was even a possibility Dick could've done it. After the help he offered, he still did it. "Uhh, Damian, what're you doing?" Dick asked, seeing his older brother glaring at his razor. 

"Are you doing it?" Damian responded.

"Doing what?"

"Hurting yourself," he snapped. Dick scoffed at the accusation.

"No, I haven't done that in ages-"

"Don't play dumb with me! You have no facial hair, why would you need a razor?" he growled out. The younger tutted and put his foot up onto the side of the bath, he pulled up his jeans to reveal not what Damian was expecting. His legs were shaved. "You know better than anyone that leg hair and leggings is hella uncomfortable so I shave my legs for convenience. That's why I have the razor." The older frowned and put down the razor. 

"Oh."

"I get that you're worried about me but I don't like the idea of you searching through my things for what I use," he complained.

"I came in here for some painkillers and I saw the razor. I made an error in my judgment but it wasn't my intention to invade your privacy." Dick hummed skeptically but wore a smile to show there were no hard feelings. He rolled down his jeans and walked over to him, picking the packet up off the counter. "Then you've found what you came for," he said, handing them over.