Friendship

Con/Tim

Rated PG (not sure if that's K or K+ but whatever)

With Every Heartbeat

So I don't look back, still I'm dying with every step I take

But I don't look back

And it hurts with every heartbeat

And it hurts with every heartbeat

- Robyn ft. Kleerup, With Every Heartbeat

When they really meet -

- it's not on purpose. The team had a simple mission in a not-so-simple town. It's that fish boy, M'gann and the blue one who is constantly talking to himself. It started out with just them. Then Bart showed up (he doesn't question why he's there, but later he'll know why) and that's when it went from simple mission in a not-so-simple town, to a not-so-simple mission in a not-so-simple town.

It's because Bart said that the stadium was filled with helpless civilians. Because Bart could only get out so many people before Poison Ivy closed off any sort of entrance. Because Conner started to punch his way inside because he could hear him.

Bu-bum.

It's because he could hear him.

Bu-bum.

If there was one thing Conner never forgot, it was sounds. He knew whose foot steps belonged to who. Could tell the sound of a zeta transport firing up miles away. Could tell by just a sigh who was frustrated or tired or annoyed.

It's because he could tell where his friends were by just their heartbeat alone.

Bu-bum.

It's when he's taking down bad guy after bad guy after bad guy, pulling innocents out of the way, trying to hear past screams and fighting and that fish boy puffer-ing up.

Because he knows he's here.

Bu-bum.

It's when Conner finds him he knows that, despite feeling such relief at his friends safety, he's probably going to get such a beat down from Nightwing and Batman, because it wasn't supposed to happen this way.

It was supposed to happen on bat terms. Hell, it probably wasn't supposed to happen at all if he was being completely honest with himself.

It's because, god, when had there been so much blue staring at him in such a controlled panic? Conner even looks around, unsure if he's really staring at Robin, if he was possibly hearing wrong. But he's never heard wrong before, so why should he now?

Robin -

are you really, really sure

like really

- plays it off after a second, ducking his head, staying close to what Conner can only assume are school friends. Tries to make himself small, blend in with the crowd, look lost and helpless.

Bu-bum.

But a second is all Conner needs - all he needs to know, that yes, holy smokes Batman, this is Robin. He grabs forward, catching Robins arm as he was about to purposefully take a hit from some wayward vine to protect his identity, and jumps up onto the higher bleachers.

And stares.

Because it's not supposed to happen this way.

Bu-bum. Ba-bumBa-bum. Babumbabumbabumbabum.

But it does. And Conner unabashedly smiles at a very red, very stressed, very blue-eyed Robin.

When they really meet.