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Damian had been so excited to shift.
Everyone in his family could. Each person had a unique animal they could shift to, but they all had something in common. They were all cat shifters.
His uncle Jason’s shift form was a Lion. Large, fierce and protective. His aunt Cass’s shift form was a cheetah, fast, agile and strong. His uncle Tim’s shift form was a Panther, stealthy and intelligent. His Grandpa’s shift form was a Lion, just like his uncle Jason.
His fathers shift form was a Black jaguar, quiet, quick and stealthy.
Damian had been so excited. Usually, the age to gain a shift form is fourteen. Sometimes, it comes earlier, or later, but it’s always around fourteen.
When Damian’s fourteenth birthday arrived, he was ecstatic.
His whole life he had been waiting for this moment. Waiting till he could finally use his full ability. He had always wondered about his shift form. He had used to wish he was a wolf, like his mother and Grandfather. However, once he had come to live with his dad, he was convinced he would be some sort of large cat like the rest of his family.
Maybe he would be a Lion, like uncle Jason and his Grandpa Bruce.
Or maybe a jaguar, like his dad.
He was so excited. When he woke up on his birthday, he practically jumped out of bed. Today would be the day he finally fit in with his family. The day he finally reached his full potential.
It was only six in the morning, but he couldn’t sleep for a second longer. He brushed his teeth, got dressed and immediately started searching for tutorials on how to shift.
After seven YouTube tutorials, he felt ready.
The video had said to slow your breathing, and concentrate. To picture yourself changing, and shifting forms.
Damian did. He pictured himself shifting into something like the strong felines his family was.
The room tilted around him, and suddenly his height was shrinking.
He was shifting.
It was slow, as first shifts usually were, but he was doing it. Damian was doing it. Damian was shifting.
He didn’t stop when he reached the height of any of the cats his family was. He was confused when he continued to shrink. Only when he was a couple inches off the ground did he stop.
Damian paused in confusion.
Had he done it wrong? Had he shifted wrong? What was happening?
Damian stumbled to the mirror. He had never been more thankful to have a mirror on his wall, because there was no way he would be able to reach the one in his bathroom.
Damian didn’t know what to expect. Had he shrunk himself? Was that even possible? Was he now stuck as a mini human?
Damian had been expecting many things, but what he saw was not one of them.
Standing there, looking back at him, was a tiny, fluffy and adorable kitten.
Its soft fur was black, and its big round eyes were green.
Not “it”, he realized. The kitten was him.
No, no, no, no
No
No
Damian was NOT supposed to be a kitten.
He was supposed to be a big strong Lion, or an agile cheetah, or a graceful panther.
He was even supposed to be a wolf, like his mothers side.
NOT a kitten.
This was not happening. Damian had wanted to show his family that he was strong. That he was big and fierce.
Not that he was some fragile and tiny kitten.
Damian shifted back to his human form in disgust. He was never shifting in front of anyone. He wouldn’t let anyone see how weak he truly was. How pathetic he was.
He had been a fool to assume he would be a strong animal. He had been genetically modified to be the greatest, yet he was still a useless child. His mother had disowned him and sent him to live with his dad. His Grandfather said he was a disgrace to the Al Ghoul line.
He was weak. Why had he assumed his shift form would be any different?
Damian wasn’t excited anymore. He wished it wasn’t his birthday.
He numbly walked back to his bed, and collapsed, throwing the blanket over himself. He didn’t want anyone to see him right now. Not now, not ever again.
————
It was eight in the morning when Dick came to wake him up.
His dad usually woke him up at seven, but Damian guessed he had wanted to let him sleep in today. He usually did when it was his birthday.
He heard rather than saw his dad turn the doorknob, and open it. Damian hadn’t moved from under the blanket, and he was glad. He didn't want his dad to see his face.
Damian closed his eyes, hoping that if he pretended to sleep his dad would go away.
His father quietly walked over to Damian, and gently moved the blanket off his head. He pressed a kiss to Damian’s hair, and rubbed circles into his back.
“Happy birthday, sweetheart. It's time to get up.”
Damian decided that fake sleeping wasn’t going to get him anywhere. He groaned, and threw his blanket back over his head.
“No.”
“No? I’ll let you sleep a little more while I make breakfast, but then we have to get ready before the family comes.”
“I don’t want to sleep, dad.”
His dad was silent for a second, then seemed to come to a conclusion. He sat himself on the bed, right next to Damian’s head. Dick ran his fingers through his son's hair.
“You know, I was a late shifter too. It took me two weeks after my fourteenth birthday to shift.”
Damian sighed. “I’m not late.”
His dad was silent in thought for a second. “Do you not like your shift form?”
Damian didn’t answer, because yes. He really didn’t like his shift form. It was horrid, and humiliating, but in a way, it fits. His form was pathetic, weak, and disappointing.
Just like Damian.
He wasn’t like his family. They were all great, strong and wise. They each had their own identity as vigilantes. Damian was just a sidekick. He was Robin, just like everyone before him. He didn’t have his own unique identity. He was weak. He had always known it. His shift form was only proving him right.
His dad sighed when Damian didn’t reply. “Oh, baby. Your shift form is beautiful.”
“You haven't even seen it.”
“You're right. I haven’t, but I have seen you. I don’t need to see to know whatever your form is, it’s wonderful. You don’t have to show me, or anyone if you don’t want to. I’m never going to force you to shift, but I want you to know that if you do decide to shift, nobody’s going to judge you.”
“You're only saying that because you're my dad.”
“I’m saying that both because you're my son, and I love you, and because it’s true.”
“…are you sure?”
Dick placed a kiss on his temple. “I’ve never been more sure about anything in my life.”
Damian turned to look his dad in the eyes. He searched his fathers deep blue eyes for any sign of dishonesty. No matter how hard Damian looked, he couldn’t find any. Instead, he only found truth, love, and adoration.
Damian sat up, only to crash into Dick for a hug. “I love you, Dad.”
His father tucked Damian’s head under his chin, and chuckled. “I love you too, baby.”
Damian pulled back to look in his dads eyes, feeling his face heat up. “Can I…can I show you before everyone gets here? I don’t want anyone else to see.”
“You want to show me your shift form?” His dad asked. He asked it carefully, but Damian could see the hardly contained excitement in his eyes. He looked like he was on the verge of jumping with joy.
“Yes.”
Dick nodded vigorously, biting his lip to suppress a smile. Damian thought he looked like an overgrown kid on Christmas.
Damian ignored his dads childish excitement, and focused on shifting. He bit his cheek in embarrassment as he shrunk. This time was much quicker. It wasn’t instant, like experienced shifters, but it wasn’t nearly as slow as the first time.
When Damian landed in his shift form, he tried to look up at his father, but before he could he was suddenly being lifted up into the air.
Next thing he knew, Dick was peppering his tiny face with kisses, and absolutely gushing about how ‘adorable’ and ‘absolutely precious’ he was.
After this went on for more than five minutes, Damian regretted showing his dad his shift form. He knew that he would never be able to shift without his father swooping him up and rave about him.
Oh well.