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Who: Dem Wayne Boys (Tim Drake and Dick Grayson)
What: Tim needs let off some pressure before he pops. Dick has a pin.
Where: Tim's room moving to the highest balcony available.
When: Immediately after the Council.
Warnings/Notes: Discussions of sexuality in ways that will not always be healthy.

At the first sign of movement towards the doors, Tim left the Council. He thought about staying until the end, to watch who leaves with who and pay attention to any last minute conversations, but guaranteed privacy is hard to come by, and he wants to check his bandages and see how well the heal he did earlier today has taken.

Without being able to close the windows to the outside walkways, he wants to do it when everyone else is busy. Hence ghosting the party so he could get back to his room and poke at his side, frowning that the color doesn't look as good as he would expect it to, for how exhausted trying to use his healing power on it made him. It's still dark pink, although it's now healed over enough that he doesn't have to worry about re-opening it. He's already been feeling the difference the past few days; it's easier and easier to move normally. Now, touching his side doesn't set off any sharp pains.

Tim drops his shirt back down. The miruvor has him feeling good enough to try a second heal today, but he'll wait until he's about to sleep in the wee hours. It's not late enough to assume that no one's going to come to rip apart what was said at the meeting today. Tim's money is on Dick, or Elle.

For now, he just stretches out on the bed and starts running through the meeting again in his head, trying to commit certain phrases to permanent memory.

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Really, it's easier to account for Dick Grayson once Tim realized that he was nigh-impossible to embarrass and generally needed no encouragement to get from 'the thing that he wanted to do' to 'the thing that he was doing'.

"I'm not surprised. We barely know what to do with you, and we at least grew up with hawaiian shirts as a concept. The Elves don't have a chance," Tim mused as he turned a landing. His side is starting to get tight, but it's not so bad. He doesn't have to really baby it. "The real question is, what do the dwarves think of you?"

Dick is still careful as he wraps an arm around Tim's neck, pulling him in for a light noogie. Careful, but not babying him. Just letting Tim be the little brother for a while.

"Honestly, I'm not sure. I haven't had a lot of chance to talk to them. Though there's been some cheering at least once when I did a swing, so it's possible that was them." Dick grins over at him. "You think I could introduce Hawai'ian shirts here? The pattern might be a bit difficult for the weavers to manage, admittedly."

Ahhh, focused attention and contact and teasing! And... Tim feigns a duck, but somehow never escapes the hand at all, and the laughter and body language are happy and light.

Tim's gotten more than one interpersonal relationship wound so tightly that he's afraid something is going to snap. But if he can wheedle a noogie out of Dick this fast, they're good. (Thank god they're good.)

"I think they could do it. There's a lot of subtle shading patterns in the clothes. Tone-on-tone vines and knots. I think you better ask them now if you're going to get one before they send us after the entire fantasy wing of the library," Tim says. "I read Die unendliche Geschichte in the original German, but I never thought that could ever come in useful."

Edited 2022-03-13 23:27 (UTC)

"Just remember not to make any wishes if anybody gives you a weird, entwined snake amulet."

He doesn't take his arm away from Tim, but moves it down to his shoulders. Loosely, so he's not trying to take any of Tim's weight. Just letting the contact stay.

They haven't done this enough lately. Kon reminded him of that.

"We're going to all be plumbing the depths of our brains to get through this. All of us. And all the skills we can bring to bear." Which meant that, eventually, they'd probably trip up and the hero thing would come to light. Best to be ready for it.

“You just have to make the right wish from the start. Bastian was careless and made too many small wishes. The right wish solves everything, and one memory isn’t too much to ask.”

Tim could use it sparingly and judiciously. If the Childlike Empress is here, then the Auryn could be as well. Hm. Something to keep an eye out for.

He makes a face at the idea of using everything, with others, in a way that implies transparency. “We could just be casually well-rounded? Good schooling, rich eccentric father - you know how much that can cover.”

"Eventually, there's going to be one thing too far. It's easy to play things off when people aren't around you twenty-four seven." And Tim knows that. And the people here aren't stupid. He knows at least a few have already started putting things together.

Once they reach the top floor, Dick leads the way to the balcony he's been using, hoping right up onto the railing in a way that would give most people heart palpitations to watch. "I've already had one of the girls worried for my mental health when she came up here."

The frown deepens, because he knows and hasn’t wanted to admit it. But he knew from the first day that hiding was only really possible if he wore the mask the entire time, or used a pseudonym and denied any knowledge of Kon. They just have to hope that the Green is fine with their universe. “It’s easier to compartmentalize when you have breathing room. I don’t think I’ve ever had to deal with so many people for so long.”

Getting stabbed was like a vacation.

“You should tell her that you regularly take running leaps off skyscrapers. See what happens.”

"Yeah, same. The closest was in 'Haven." Which...there's still a tightness to his voice whenever he talks about his city. The one he...didn't fail, but wasn't able to save. It hadn't been his fault. But sometimes, it's still hard not to feel that it had been.

He shakes his head, shaking the feeling off as best he can. "Anyway, I'm not sure that would convince her about my mental health. I took her for a swing instead."

[ Tim holds his breath when Dick mentions Blüdhaven. Figuratively, to actually hold his breath would be noticed. He’s here, and he’ll absolutely listen if Dick wants to talk about it. He thinks Dick has already done his grieving though, so there’s a brush of his hand on Dick’s back that isn’t quite a pat. Just sign that he’s not alone, and cautiously avoiding making another mess out of old traumas this week.

He’s relieved when they go back to talking about the girl. “Subtle. I’m going to go out on a limb and say she’s pretty.”

If Dick leans into that brush, neither of them would call him on it. Blüdhaven is always going to be like that for him, more than likely. But it's also acknowledgement that he knows he isn't alone. And grateful to Tim for that.

Still, he's able to laugh and shake his head. "Honestly? I guess she's pretty. Really not my type and too young. But I figured the best way for her to understand why I wanted to do it and I'm good enough to make sure she wouldn't fall."

Nope, not calling him on it. But making a mental note to be more attentive for a few days. A better kid brother to provide some distraction and support until Dick’s in a better place and not mentioning the ruined city.

“Too young’s a problem because it means I can’t make a joke about how hair dye can make anyone your type,” Tim teases. “So everyone knows that you can swing on a vine like Tarzan while carrying another person, and your brother hangs out with a superhero. Bruce’s going to burst a blood vessel. I’m moving out for three months.”

Tim is a just fine brother. Dick is good at distracting himself. And mentioning the city all on his own.

There's a moment of quiet before Dick shakes his head. "I'm still trying to get my head around that. That Bruce is alive." He looks over to Tim. "Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that you were right. I just..." It's a rough one. "I had to get used to the idea he was gone in order to do what I needed to do. So it's going to take a bit to get used to that."

But it's obvious that being here, not having to be Batman, has been good for Dick. He's loosened up a lot. He's always been a different Batman to Bruce, but having to do it without having Bruce in the background for advice had been rough.

“It’s still weird for me, too, sometimes,” Tim admits. If anyone can understand how it’s hard to adjust to a sudden return to the old normal, it’s Tim. He had utterly refused the new normal, and he’s still having trouble resuming normality. “But the good news is that you don’t have to deal with it here.”

He can avoid bringing Bruce up again. Tim would’ve wanted to know, but maybe not when he couldn’t see for himself and really take it in. There’s a point where someone being back becomes real (it’s somewhere around the third time Tim sees them again, but he can’t study it for obvious reasons). “I can’t not bring up Kon though. He’s right here.”

"Not much, at least." Because Tim is still here and knows, and it's going to come up. So Dick is all right talking about it. It's just weird.

And then his little brother brings up part of the reason for Dick seeking him out, which makes his job so much easier. (Not that Tim has realized that it's part of reason. Yet.)

"Kon's easier because he's here, I think. It's easier when you can see it with your own eyes, you know?" Which is when Dick turns his full attention onto Tim. "Well. Easier for me."

Not as easy for you isn't SAID, but the weight in the air means it's certainly implied.

Tim can feel the moment the tectonic plates of the conversation overcome the friction and snap to their new position.

This isn’t about Bruce, or Tim leaving the meeting borderline early. For some reason, this is about Kon, which is stupid. Tim accepts that Kon’s alive. He’s been over that shock since before he got yanked into this new universe.

(Don’t pull away or look guilty. Whatever this is, Dick doesn’t know how awkward things have been the past few days because Kon is mercifully clueless and Tim will die on this hill.)

(But a confused look is okay. In moderation.)

Tim turns towards Dick who, unsurprisingly, is already looking at him. Like he couldn’t tell. Tim can hear when Dick’s staring at him when they’re both blindfolded. (Don’t even think about asking what you did. Implicates you as having done something.)

“I think everyone’s handling it okay. “The Legion of Superheroes did it” is an effective explanation for what would otherwise be too much science to explain.”

Edited 2022-03-14 19:29 (UTC)

Tim wishes Dick didn't know. But, then, he doesn't know that Kon went looking for him to try to get insight into Tim.

"I've had friends come back from the dead too, Tim. I know it can be...odd." He'd stepped down as leader of the Titans because of Donna's death. Mourned Garth. Probably would have given Arthur a piece of his mind if he'd been in a good position to do so.

Wally hadn't died, but they'd lost him all the same for a time. That had been nearly as hard to deal with as losing Donna.

Joey had returned. Hank had, but Don hadn't. More names than he wanted to remember right now.

"It's okay for it to be odd. Especially when you can't get some space to sort yourself out."

Calling his little brother out? Just a little.

Edited 2022-03-14 20:32 (UTC)

“I’m getting used to it. This the. Fourth time in less than 18 months. More, if you want to count Jason and Jericho and a few others.” Can they ever be old hat, at something like this? Tim doubts he’ll be able to cut himself off enough to the point of not caring, but he might get ground down to it. Inoculated against the pain of death. He might be okay with that.

“I already sorted it out, back home. I admit I skipped the first welcome back party because - I couldn’t make it.” He was busy looking for evidence of Bruce being alive. “But I’ve seen Kon at least four times and Bart twice - I’m fine with it. I accepted it before I got here. Bart raided the Manor pantry and everything.”

A speedster raiding a pantry is like peanut butter and jelly. It’s peak normal.

(And Bart is, as ever, a great distraction. Tim owes him a Coke for this.)

"Uh-huh." Dick does count Jericho and Jason and some of the others. Even if Jason is a bit of a sore spot at the moment. "So why did Kon track me down, trying to figure out why you'd gone so weird on him?"

A raised eyebrow before he adds, "Don't worry. I didn't explain everything."

“Why would he do that?” He avoids echoing the statement (Kon tracked you down?) because it’s a huge stalling tell, but Tim stops breathing anyway.

His respiration, like his resting heart rate, is ridiculously low. Most people wouldn’t notice one or two skipped breaths while Tim’s brain scrambles to get all of his thoughts indexed and in order, so that he doesn’t have to invent. He needs to just respond.

He resumes a normal breathing pattern on queue, like the others weren’t missed at all. “I’ve been hurt. That’s not as weird as I’d like it to be.”

Were it anybody other than a member of the family, Tim stopping breathing would probably just be passed off easily.

But it's Dick. And Dick knows him all too well. Especially since he was watching for this exact reaction.

Which is why he nudges Tim's with the toe of his boot. "Don't," he says after a moment. "What's the phrase? 'Don't bullshit a bullshitter'? You know I know when you're lying."

And it's not that he's entirely lying. But Dick can also tell when he's leaving out the truth, too.

He might as well have tried to lie to Cass. This is a nightmare, and he doesn’t have a grappling hook.

(If this were Gotham, he’d already be jumping off the balcony. If Dick wanted to talk he’d have to work for it.)

“Don’t kid a kidder, if you want the PG version.” Tim sighs, resigning himself to … whatever this is about.

(It’s about Tim avoiding Kon.)

(Or it’s about how Tim went to pieces in the garden.)

(Please, not that. Please just be about his lack of sleep.)

He gives the edge of the balcony another look. He could manage a vine. “What did he tell you, and what did you say?”

Tim’s resigned to it, but he’s not giving up anything Dick doesn’t know.

At least he's not running away.

Not that he COULD run that well, even with as healed as his side is.

"I haven't told him anything other than to try to put himself in your shoes," Dick promises. "And reminded him that you're bad at emotions."

He has no problem being this honest about it with Tim. Tim knows, after all. And Dick has said the same thing to Bruce as well, so it's not like this is entirely new ground.

"That said. He told me about how you guys went for a walk. Stopped for a moment and he saw a seed pod on your shoulder, so he went to brush it off. You turned at just the right or wrong time and he brushed your cheek as well. Which he thinks weirded you out.

"That he took you down to get a look at Rivendell as you should have seen it coming in. And you got to talking about the future. And he started getting emotional and you promised him that he'd never get hurt by losing his best friend like that."

Because that's a promise Tim can make. They all know it isn't true, but...well, it's a promise that they all try to make, really. So that, at least, Dick can't blame Tim for. "He righted himself emotionally, you guys went back to joking a bit...then you got weird again and 'used your Starfire voice'--" Complete with air quotes because he's a LITTLE amused by that. "--because you were lying about being okay, but he brought you back up like you wanted and left you alone. Then came looking for me because he felt like he'd failed the conversation."

Then he settles back, letting Tim digest that for a few minutes.

Son of a bitch.

Kon told him everything?!

Holy smokes, Kon told him everything.

Kon told Dick Grayson everything like he was nothing. Like he has no self preservation and doesn’t care about shielding Tim either.

(No, that’s too harsh. Kon would shield him; he just doesn’t know how Tim feels. He doesn’t know that there’s anything to protect.)

It’s a bit before Tim says anything. “Just at the wrong time. I wouldn’t have moved if I knew what was going to happen.”

Dick has understood everything else perfectly well. Tim just wants to make it clear that he wasn’t trying to test the waters. It was an accident. “I’ve talked to him since then. I handled it. I reassured him without the ‘Starfire voice’ - which isn’t a thing - and I won’t let things ‘get weird’ again.”

Right now, he's not sure if he should tell Tim that he also had to explain what bisexuality is, because public school systems in the midwest. That may come up later.

For the moment, Dick slings his arm around Tim's shoulder, giving him a half hug. "I know it was an accident." Because Tim wouldn't have frozen up if it hadn't been an accident. If it had been testing the waters, he'd have felt more in control. "He also explained what the Starfire voice was, Tim. Don't worry, I won't tell her about it."

Tim looks completely away. It’s starting to feel like Dick’s got Tim figured out, too (Of course he does). He’s not sure he can face that judgment. Better to put it off indefinitely.

“There’s no Starfire voice,” he says, in the Starfire voice of composed neutrality that is confidently blameless rather than performative innocence with exaggerated naivety. “And what did you tell him? I need to make sure it’s all counteracted.”