Page 36 of Damian & Jun: Episodes 5-8
Jun squeezed Damian’s arm. “Who’s he?”
“His father,” Richard said.
“The one you had to fight?” Jun asked.
Damian nodded.
“Fuck him.” Jun did a bit of a growl of his own.
Damian snorted, almost laughing. “Believe me, you don’t want to fuck him.”
“Not that kind of fucking.” Jun pressed his cheek against Damian and squeezed with his hands.
“Sometimes…” Damian sighed. “I wish I could go back. Actually get her out. Get them all out.”
Richard said nothing. Just continued touching and grounding Damian.
“Why did I escape but not my sister? Why am I the lucky one? Didn’t they deserve to get out as much as me?”
Richard answered, voice deep and controlled. “You didn’t escape until he discarded you. He was going to send you to prison—for years. He cut you out. You paid for your escape. And the only reason it happened was because you were the voice of justice he couldn’t abide.”
“She’s my age,” Damian whispered. “That’s how long it’s been. She’s my age—now. The age when I left.”
“With all her own agency and personal choices.”
“I should have done more.”
“Legally, you couldn’t.”
Damian curled up tighter.
A kernel of hate blossomed inside of Jun’s chest. The man who did this to Damian deserved to be despised. He was an abomination, not a father at all.
Damian seemed to almost drift into sleep.
“This isn’t what you normally do, is it?” Jun whispered, looking up.
Richard shrugged, the movement minimized to not disturb Damian. “Normally Damian would be in my bed, likely with Collin and Émeric as well. But he needs you right now, and you haven’t consented to that kind of contact yet. This is meeting his needs.”
Jun dropped his eyes. “Sorry.”
“Don’t be. You’re a beautiful part of Damian’s life.”
“I don’t want to keep him from all of you.”
“You’re not. I’m here. Collin and Émeric would be back in moments if they were called. Damian knows he’s not alone. And neither are you.”
Jun looked up. “What do you mean? I’m fine.”
Richard canted his head to the side, not deigning to dignify the lie with his voice.
Jun’s cheeks tingled. He dropped his face again, half hiding, only to realize he was pressing his face against Richard’s thigh.
Well, fuck.
Richard laid a hand on the top of Jun’s head very slowly, giving Jun time to move away. Gently, he moved his fingers, petting Jun as much as he was comforting Damian.
Damian slept restlessly, the nightmare coming back at points. Jun drowsed beside him until the sun started to peek over the horizon. Richard tapped him and motioned for Jun to take his place. He extracted himself carefully, and Jun slipped onto the couch, his back against the corner of the armrest, cradling Damian’s sleeping form between his legs. A wave of protectiveness washed through him. He looked up at Richard.
