"Do you think Tim's avoiding us?"
Cassie sighs, massaging her temples. "No, Bart he's just taking a break from everything. He'll eventually tell us what's going on with him." She says, eyeing the speedster pacing across the room.
"But what happens if he doesn't?" Bart asks sounding panicked, his hands dramatically holding his head. "I thought we were supposed to be his best friends. Friends don't keeps secrets from each other."
"Then we go to his house, break down his door and demand answers." She snaps, but not too harsh to hurt his feelings. This was the hundredth time Bart has asked her a Tim-related question in the last hour, the speedster was slightly getting on her nerves. He was not the only one who needed reassurance. They were all going through the absence of their dear friend.
"There will be no breaking down of any doors." Kon says, entering the Titan's living room. Bart and Cassie went wide-eyed like a deer caught in headlights. They whipped their heads in the Super's direction.
"Oh, Kon. You're back." Cassie says, dumbfounded. "We totally weren't making plans to kidnap Tim without you." She laughs awkwardly.
Kon raises a brow. "Seriously guys, did you forget about Batman? I don't know about you but I like having my head attached to my body."
"C'mon, Kon don't be a party pooper. When did you start being the responsible one?" Bart wonders. The speedster was now munching on a pack of Chicken Whizee, frantically eating away his problems.
Kon blinks. "Crap you're right. Man, I use to be the fun one around here."
Cassie rolls her eyes and snorts. "Yeah, okay."
He ignores her. "Anyway, as I was saying. I don't know if it's such a good idea to go over there when we're probably the last people he wants to see right now."
Tim hasn't been answering any of their calls, always going straight to voicemail. They've decided to give him some space but it's been two weeks now and they're tired of waiting.
"Kon." She says softly, getting up from her seat on the couch. She steps forward and places a hand on his shoulder. "What if he's hurting right now? I can't stand the fact that I don't know and we're not there for him."
Cassie now looked like she was on the verge of tears and something in Kon breaks at that. He wraps his arms around her in a tight hug.
"Hey, don't leave me out." Bart zips over to them and hugs Kon from behind.
It was just the three of them now. Things were really different without Tim being there.
"Alright," Kon pulls back and finally says. "Let's go."
The trio headed to Gotham and were now stood in front of the Manor.
Kon rang the doorbell while they waited patiently. Deciding to be polite for a change instead of just sneaking in. Within record time, it was opened to reveal the family's butler who looked like he was expecting them?
"Hey, Alfred." Bart beams from behind Kon.
Alfred raises his infamous eyebrow. "Master Kent and Company," He addresses, then checks the clock on the wall, "You three are rather late. I had expected your visit far earlier than this evening but please do come in."
He makes way for them as they stepped foot inside the Manor.
"If you are worried about Master Bruce, he is currently on a business trip and will be back in a week's time so he will not hear a word of this from me."
"How did you know we were coming here, today?" Kon asks, curiously.
Alfred's sarcasm not missing a beat. "I'm Batman." He says in the most dead serious voice, it brought chills up Kon's spine. This man was truly powerful and not a force to be reckoned with.
"Master Tim is up in his room, I will be in the kitchen in preparation of dinner if you all decide to stay the night." Alfred says to them, then leaves the room.
"Thanks Alfred, you're the best!" Bart exclaims.
The Manor was a place you could get lost in like a maze. If not for Kon's super-hearing used to track down Tim's heartbeat, they wouldn't have found his room as easily as they did. To their surprise it was unlocked so they really didn't have to break down any doors much to Cassie's disappointment.
There was a big Tim-shaped lump on the bed, it was unmoving yet no doubt Tim covered in a bunch of blankets.
"Hey buddy, you in there?" Kon asks, sitting at the end of the bed. Cassie and Bart taking a seat higher up on either side of Tim.
"Go away, Tim isn't here right now." the muffled voice said.
They all glanced at each other and smiled smile at that.
"Tim, we're here because we just want to know why you haven't been answering our calls and going all out of your way to avoid us." Cassie says, from Tim's left side.
"Yeah, we're all worried about you." Bart adds.
Tim's head peeks out of the blanket. His cheeks were flushed red and puffy from crying, it was kind of adorable how small he looked at the moment considering the Bats always had to put on a false facade to intimidate people.
Bart soothed his fingers through Tim's hair to help him relax. The touch-starved boy allowed himself to be vulnerable and melted into the touch.
A moment of silence had passed.
"Steph and I broke up." He finally manages to say, his gaze downcast.
"Oh, um." Kon not knowing how to approach this. "That's not what I was expecting but okay."
Cassie looks at Kon disbelievingly. Unlike the Super she actually had the balls to say what he's too afraid of.
"Tim, I'm going to be brutally honest with you, that girl was bad news from the start. You should have dodged that bullet a long time ago." She says, without missing a beat.
Tim looks up at her confused. "Wait, I thought you guys liked Steph."
Kon rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Uh, dude she was always trying to control you. We didn't want to say anything because we didn't know how to bring it up."
"Huh, some detective I am." Tim says, in a small voice.
Kon interjects. "No, stop that. You're the smartest person we know Batman doesn't even have anything on you. Sometimes we're just blinded by love to see people's true colors."
"Mhm." Tim agrees, "I've never been in a real relationship before and I just wanted everything to be perfect so in my head I created this fantasy world where I could pretend things were peachy without realising her true intentions until it was too late."
"And that's fine. Everyone makes mistakes and regrets them, it's not your fault you didn't predict the outcome of this, we should have tried being more honest with you in the first place." Cassie says, reassuringly.
"Thanks guys," Tim's mood seems to be lightened so that was a good sign," You're the only few people I don't need to put my walls up for⦠and I appreciate that."
Midnight falls. Tim doesn't know how they all managed to fit on the bed but he doesn't question it. Kon's head was resting on Tim's left shoulder and Cassie's on his right while Bart was placed between Tim's legs, resting his head on his stomach. The touch-starved boy had never been involved in a cuddle pile before but everything in this moment felt right. Being here with them made him feel the safest he's ever been and if he ever falls in love again, he hopes it's a love as pure as this.
The four, well 2/4 of them were in deep slumber. Bart and Tim were still up, they were just laying there enjoying each other's presence and deep into their own thoughts, a comfortable silence between them. Bart is the first to break it as he tilts his head up to make eye-contact with Tim, his cerulean eyes piercing through the raven haired boy's in the moonlight.
"We love you, y'know." The speedster's words are genuine and cuts deep.
Tim smiles. "Yeah, I know." He says softly.
Thanks for reading! Please review πππππ
