Re: [Lake: Misha/Damian.]
Damian was not as badly off as he might have once have been. This—much of it—was Misha's doing. As much as he hated it, in these moments, he would be sad, though it was a pointless, wasted emotion. But, he had not gone to use. And, given enough time to recover from the slip, he would be fine. It was difficult for Damian—and for someone with Damian's (stunted) emotional development and with his specific issues—to endure the repeated departures of people. Even if he sought not to get attached, there was some connection, and, though he did not want to, he mourned each when (not if) it was severed. Dawson was no different.
In fact, ultimately, Damian did not like Dawson. He did not even tolerate him. There were several moments when he actively disliked the man. But, still, these sorts of occurrences felt personal to Damian, even when he knew, rationally, they were not.—But, with Misha there, he would come back from it. He only needed a handful of moments to unstopper the emotional flood. Then, it could all be resealed. And, on the plus side, he had not used morphine, and he was not sobbing about how he wished, not only that everyone would leave, but that they had never come. This, though it might not have looked it, was progress.
Misha held him, and Damian rubbed his face to the side of the boy's neck, his arms up over shoulders. He felt his hat leave his head, but he did not look up. Misha kissed his temple, then nudged close, and Damian tipped his head toward the boy and his nuzzling. "I did not even like him," was his only mournful statement, as if he did not even know why he felt as badly as he did.