Chapter 2: The Talk
Tim's POV
I knock on her door, seems pointless given that usually I just walk right in without knocking, but it also seems necessary, because today isn't just another day, I'm telling her my decision, I'm telling her I'm ready to stop being Robin.
"Steph, it's me. Can I come in?" I gently ask.
"Of course" I open the door and reach her bed, sitting next to her, she raises an eyebrow "Since when do you ask for permission?"
"I don't know" I show something close to a smile "I just felt like it"
She gives me a suspicious look, but soon hugs me "What do you want to do?"
"I don't know, you were the one wanting to get out of here, your choice" I wink.
"I hate choosing, but your right… Fine, let me think" she complains.
"Don't worry, I have all day" I lay down next to her.
She turns around and puts her arm over me and I kiss her cheek.
Steph takes a few moments to think, but finally says:
"I know! Let's go to the park. What do you think?"
"Should you be walking around with that leg? Maybe the park isn't such a good idea" I observe.
"Doesn't matter, my choice. Remember?" she teases me.
"Ok, you win, the park it is" I declare.
I get up, grab her crutches and hand them over.
She carefully sits down on her beds and grabs the crutches, I help her to get up and slowly we reach the door.
In a couple of minutes we're out of the house.
She looks around confused "Where's the car? Or the motorbike?"
"Well, I wasn't expecting a trip to the park and since you've been laying around for a while I thought we could walk" I say a bit embarrassed, realizing now that it wasn't my best idea to make a broken legged girl walk anywhere.
She kisses me in the forehead "It's perfect like this, thank you. I love your idea, I really am tired of doing nothing"
"It's ok, I know it wasn't my best idea" I confess.
"I don't car as long we're together" our lips meet with a tender but thoughtful kiss.
"Since we'll have to walk we better start walking. At your rate if we don't start now we'll only reach the park by the time we should head back" I joke.
She holds her laugh for a second and tries to give me a sarcastic laugh "Very funny Tim".
Stephanie's POV
We're walking, holding hands, making small talk, but this is so much more than I expected for today.
I was expecting him to come with a big speech on how he shouldn't be Robin anymore, because I was getting hurt.
Maybe he hasn't even thought of it, I hope so.
We're still a few steps away from the park.
We walk around for a couple hours and then decide to sit in one of the park's benches.
He puts his arms around my shoulders and I fit my head in his shoulder.
"Steph, we need to talk" he breaks the silence.
I look at him "What's wrong Tim?"
"Nothing, I just… I've been thinking and maybe…" he takes a deep breath.
Gosh, it's true, he has thought of it, I can see it in his eyes, he's going to tell me he wants out of being Robin…
This is all my fault.
"Maybe it's time to pass the suit to someone else. I think it's time for us to get out of this life and be normal, be safe" he gives me a thoughtful look and I look the other way.
"No, you can't, you love being Robin. Why would you quit?" I ask him, knowing the answer already.
"Because you're getting hurt, I don't want you to get hurt anymore. I want you to be safe and the only way you'll be safe is by being normal and we'll never be normal if I keep being The Boy Wonder" he looks disturbed.
"Tim, you've done too much good to give up. It's not your fault I'm in this life. I'll always be in this life whether you give up or not" I declare.
"But it would be easier for us to get out of this life if my days as Robin came to an end…" he tries to persuade me.
"No! Stop it!" I yell "You're the best Robin I've ever seen. I'm so proud of you Tim, you can't give up, if it was me you wouldn't let me give up"
"It's different" he tries again.
"How? How is it different? Tim, I love you, every single bit of you is perfect for me. Robin is a part of you, I love Robin too. You can't quit. Gotham needs you, the citizens need you, Batman needs you, they all need Robin. Can't you see it?" I carefully hold his face within my hands.
"I won't leave Batman alone, he'll find another Robin, just like he did before and I can train the next Robin so he'd be prepared" he explains.
"You can train him, but he'll never be you. No replacement will ever be as good as you. Just look at the other Robins, they all have skills that no other Robin achieved. Dick Grayson was a acrobat like no other Robin was, Jason Todd was the strongest Robin and you Tim, you're the best planner and the best detective. No Robin could be like you" I slightly kiss him.
"But…" he seems an awful lot confused, this isn't like him.
"Tim, there's nothing more to add, I can't forbid you from quitting, it's just like the baby: you didn't forbid me from keeping him, you just said it was a bad idea and that it was my choice… I can't force you to keep the suit, but you love it and I think it's a bad choice quit, but it's your decision, not mine" I finish.
He meditates on it for a minute and ends up saying:
"You're right Steph, I just don't like to see you get hurt. I'm still Robin and I'll be it for as long as I can. If you think of it, it's easier to protect you with all my gadgets anyway" he kisses me "Thank you"
"You're welcome. I love you Tim"
"I love you too Steph"
I kiss him again and we stay in the park until late, watching the sun set on the horizon.
It's so beautiful, this is perfect.