I got a prompt for this one! "Aww, can we have some, Bat family forgets about Tim's competition and that makes Tim upset which makes him loose in his Swimming Tryouts for Nationals..." This mostly fits that I hope!

Tim is 16 here and Jason is 18

Tim frowned looking up into the stands. Bruce always sat in the bleachers on the left side of the center aisle just a few rows up in the second section. Bruce wasn't there yet and he was swimming next. Bruce promised he'd be there, it was the state qualifying meet and he'd marked it on every calendar in the manor and reminded Bruce just this morning (actually every morning this week). Tim figured that Bruce was running late and would show just before it started, he had to drive cross town from the ice rink so there was probably traffic. But traffic couldn't be this bad, not on a Sunday morning right? Maybe something happened?

Worse. Maybe Bruce forgot. And once that thought had entered his head, he couldn't get rid of it. Did Bruce not care? Was he not a priority? Sure he did well, he'd made high school state last year, but Jason was already being scouted by colleges and Damian was going to the junior nationals and then worlds. Compared to them he really hadn't accomplished much; it wasn't like he could be a professional swimmer or that he even wanted to. He just wasn't worth Bruce's time. At that moment he wanted to walk away and quit, he didn't need to swim this stupid race it's not like it would mean anything in a few years anyways. Too late, the call to the starting blocks was announced over the PA system and he couldn't walk away now.

He sighed climbing up onto the start block, and then caught himself. He didn't need Bruce to be here, that had no impact on if he was good or not, Bruce wasn't the one who put in hours swimming laps or time in the gym. He could do this for himself. No, he would do this for himself. He looked out across the pool, just there and back only 100 meters freestyle his favorite race to swim. He heard the long whistle from the referee to grab the gutter and assume the starting position followed by the starter giving the signal to begin.

Diving into the water was always such a rush and no different this time. He surfaced focusing on each individual stroke and kick. Going across the pool this direction, the side he took breaths on was the opposite side of where the crowd was sitting and he could also see all the other swimmers since he was in the far left lane. He focused on keeping ahead of the other swimmers and was pulling just ahead as he approached the turn. If he got managed a good turn he could pull even farther ahead. He kicked off the wall strong and put all he had into the final stretch. This time on the way back he could see the crowd every time he took a breath.

He was only about 25 meters away when he came up for a breath and found himself looking directly at where Bruce would usually be sitting. The spot was wide open, empty still. He took a sharp intake of breath but unexpectedly swallowed a mouthful of water as well. He coughed and gasped taking in even more water and slipped under the surface struggling to get back up for air, watching as all the other swimmers passed him. Or he thought they all had passed him. A pair of arms wrapped around his torso and dragged him to the surface. It was the guy in the lane next to him from Smallville High, Kent, Tim thought his name was. He coughed and spluttered trying to catch his breath, while the guy helped him to the side of the pool and his coach offered a hand to pull him out and then guided him to a bench.

"Tim are you alright? What happened? Let me go find your Dad." His coach leaned over where Tim was sitting on the bench closer to the stands than the pool with a medic checking him over.

"He's not here, really I'm fine though you don't need to call him or anything. My arm just cramped up and I swallowed a bit of water. I think I'm just gonna go home." He looked back out at the pool, they were going to redo the race but he didn't have it in him to get back out there. He'd nearly drowned letting his emotions get the better of him he couldn't get into the pool right now. His coach looked at the medic next to him and the medic assured him that Tim was okay.

"If you're sure that's what you want Tim. You know this is the last chance to make state for the 100 freestyle until next year."

"I know, I'm sorry I just can't." He saw how disappointed coach looked. Tim got up and made his way to the locker rooms, if he was quick he wouldn't have to see or talk to anyone and could leave. He made his way to his car before the redo race even finished throwing his bag unceremoniously into the back seat and jamming his keys into the ignition. He wasn't sure what he was feeling, upset, angry still a bit panicky since almost drowning. He paused and collected himself for a minute, enough so that he could at least drive home.

At the manor he pulled his car into the garage next to Bruce's silver Mercedes, which meant that Bruce was home. In fact, all the cars were in their spots meaning everyone was home. He knew what he wanted to do then, he wanted to go yell at Bruce to vent off all the emotions ricocheting around his head, it was Bruce's fault he felt like this. He marched into the manor and through the kitchen to find Alfred. "Alfred where's Bruce?"

"Master Timothy you're back sooner than expected. Master Bruce is in the drawing room but-" Tim stormed past Alfred not letting him finish, nearly jogging to the drawing room. He spotted the back of Bruce's head, he was sitting on the couch, and felt every emotion bubble up.

"You promised you'd be there! You said you would and you weren't! What the hell was more important!" Tim yelled at the back of Bruce's head. Bruce turned his head.

"Tim not now, you have to be quiet, I-"

"What do you mean 'not now'?! I nearly drowned today and you weren't there! Don't tell me not now!"

"Whaddaya mean nearly drowned?" A groggy sounding voice inquired. It sounded like Jason but the words were a bit slurred and he didn't quite sound right. Tim frowned and stepped around the couch.

Jason was sprawled out over half the couch leaning against Bruce who was holding a huge ice pack to Jason's side. Jason wasn't wearing a shirt so Tim could see that his whole right side was wrapped in white bandages with splotches of purple bruising peeking out where the bandages didn't cover. Jason's left arm was in a sling with a pillow between it and his chest and an ice pack wrapped around that as well. Tim forgot about how angry and upset he was for a minute.

"Bruce what happened to Jason? Is he okay?"

"Tim I am fantastic, I'm on sooooo may drugs I'll be numb for a week I hope." Jason grinned up at him. Bruce sighed.

"Ignore him, he has four cracked ribs and his arm is broken in two places. He took an illegal blindside hit into the boards and his arm got stuck between the wall and his body. The doctors gave him a high dose of painkillers so they could realign his arm."

"Oh," Tim murmured, "So that's why you weren't at the race." Bruce looked at him apologetically.

"Yes that's why. Why would you think I'd forget?"

Tim couldn't hold it back anymore and he felt a tear slip out.

"Tim?"

"I just, this is so dumb but I thought you didn't care. It's not like I'm that great or anything I thought you'd rather be doing something else and I let that get to me and I lost focus and then I swallowed a ton of water and I lost the race and they were gonna redo it but I just couldn't cause I was upset and then I came back here and yelled at you and now this is all so stupid cause Jason is hurt and I'm being selfish and you don't deserve me yelling at you and I'll just go." The waterworks were full force now he couldn't stop it.

"Tim that's not selfish. I'm so sorry I didn't find a way to tell you we wouldn't be there I was so caught up in getting everything at the hospital sorted out. This one's totally on me. Are you alright though? You said you almost drowned, why didn't anyone call me?" Bruce reached forwarded and handed Tim the box of tissues.

"I might have been exaggerating a little." Bruce raised an eyebrow at him. "Okay, I panicked a bit and one of the other swimmers had to pull me out of the water, but the medic said I'm fine, really I feel fine. More than anything I was just upset and angry I think."

"I'm glad you're alright, I'll be speaking your coach though, he should have called." Tim just shrugged, and Bruce gave him the dad look.

"I think I'll go take a shower, do you need anything before I go?"

"I need you to get over here and commiserate with me," Jason grumbled, "There's a ton of room on this couch - ow fuck that hurts!" He yelled as he tried to move and make room for Tim next to him.

"Jason if you try to move one more time I swear I will have Dick come sit with you and it will not be pleasant," Jason groaned and settled back into the couch rethinking his options, "Tim there's room next to me." Tim squeezed himself in between Bruce and the armrest and Bruce put his free arm around Tim's shoulders pulling him close. "Tim, I promise I would never forget about you."