Sexy underwear?

[cloned]

Kon flew towards Cassie's apartment, worrying about Tim. If Tim could read his thoughts he'd make some comment about worrying being his job, not Kon's, but someone had to worry about Tim. And that seemed to fall squarely on Tim's shoulders. Cassie's too. And Bart's. Okay, a lot of people worried about Tim. Kon wasn't sure if that was better or worse.

He was still worrying as he rounded on Cassie's apartment and flew to the window.

Comments

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

Cassie sat amongst boxes doing her own share of worrying. Worrying about Tim. Worrying about Kon. Worrying about Kon worrying about Tim. Worrying about Tim worrying about Kon worrying about Tim.

It was a lot of worrying.

She heard Kon's approach and leaped up to greet him. "Hey." She gave him a small smile and a big kiss. "I'm ready." Have lasso, will travel.

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

Kon wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her back. "You look hot, babe." He smiled and took her hand. "I'm worried about Tim."

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

"I know." She gave him a squeeze but stepped back to meet his eyes directly. "I'm worried, too. But I also know that he's a big boy who can take care of himself and an over-reaction will only hurt." She tipped Kon's chin down with a finger. "Okay?"

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

"I know that." Kon scowled. "I just wanna protect him." He tipped his head down to kiss the top of her finger. "I don't like it when people I love get hurt. Especially by people who are supposed to be good guys."

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

Cassie sighed inwardly. At least she hoped it was only inwardly; Kon had a tendency to see through her and over-react to that as well. "I know you do but...sometimes support is all we need. Or want." And now she had to defend Bruce, who she'd quite honestly been wanting to flatten herself since yesterday. Life isn't fair sometimes. "And nothing about this has anything to do with being a 'good guy' or a 'bad guy'. It's...well, much more complicated than that."

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

Kon shrugged. "So? Tim's still hurting. I don't like that."

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

Oh, why does he have to be so difficult. "...Let's just go." Arguing it wasn't going to help anything. Tim knew what Kon was like as well as she did and he wanted them both. Hefting her bag onto a shoulder Cassie ushered Kon to the window.

[deductionmaster.livejournal.com]

Tim frowned as he walked over to the doors of the guest house. He went ahead and opened them completely, letting in the night air, then moved over towards the kitchen. He caught sight of himself in a mirror on the wall and his frown deepened. He briefly thought about attempting to cover up some of the bruising, but he knew they would know. He grabbed a bottle of water and moved over to the couch, keeping his posture correct and his face clear. His ribs weren't hurting all that much anymore...several Vicodin had helped with that. So...he sat and waited.

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

Cassie dropped softly to the ground, the stone walkway leading up to the guest house. She'd been here the last few nights, it was becoming a habit, and she knew exactly how many steps it took to reach the doors. But she didn't count, she walked as swiftly as she could without running (or flying) to where Tim waited.

Seeing him sitting stiffly on the couch, bruised if not broken and clearly trying to keep all his hurt in check, the anger flared up again and she wanted to HIT SOMETHING HARD. But she forced it aside and walked with purpose to Tim's side. She sat before he could stand (as manner dictates and she knew Tim was always mannered) and pulled him into an embrace, attempting to keep it light so as not to agitate injury.

"Oh, my Tim," she whispered softly into his hair.

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

Kon, to his credit, did not fly off to beat Bruce into a bloody pulp.

"I knew you weren't fine," he growled. He flew over to Tim's other side and put his hands gently on Tim's shoulder and leg. He used his x-ray vision to look at Tim's bones. "Your ribs, Tim! Grife! You should see a doctor or something about that!"

[deductionmaster.livejournal.com]

Tim closed his eyes and sighed softly, relaxing a bit against both of them. "They're only cracked," he said quietly, "and I've already taped them up." He turned his head slightly and smiled a bit at Kon. "A doctor would do exactly what I've already done, so..." Reaching out, he placed a hand over Kon's hand, on his leg, then he turned his head and kissed Cassie's cheek. "It's done, and I'll be better in a day or two."

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

Cassie gently stroked his head, hair tangled up in hands. So stoic, her Tim. Bruce was an idiot if he refused to see how determined and devoted Tim was. No matter how they clawed at the shadows of their various mentors, they loomed over their lives. Tim was more than halfway to Batman and she knew it. She wanted to pull him back. She just worried she wasn't supposed to.

"How did it...go?" she asked quietly, still holding as tightly as she dared.

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

Kon frowned and pet Tim's leg with his thumb. "I hate him," he said quietly. "I really do." He squirmed up to Tim's side and put his arm around Tim's waist.

[deductionmaster.livejournal.com]

Tim closed his eyes and just sat there for a moment. "I know," he said to Kon, "but don't. This is his way of trying to protect Gotham, and in a way, protect me. He's trying to make me stronger. He just doesn't understand." He moved his hand from where it was laying over Kon's hand to rest in his hair.

Then, he turned to smile a bit at Cassie. "I've disappointed him. I still have complete access, though, so...at least he still trusts me. That's saying a lot."

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

"It is," she agreed, voice quiet but steady. She understood having that trust was important to Tim. It was equally important to her. Kon was naturally more secure in who he was separate from it than either Tim or Cassie. Which was deeply ironic when considered but it had always been that way.

She brushed Tim's hair back across his forehead; his eyes seemed darker than usual. "Are you at all disappointed in him?"

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

Kon turned his head to kiss Tim's wrist. He didn't trust himself not to blurt out something stupid that would make Cassie glare at him and Tim get more upset, so he said nothing. He kept an arm around Tim and rubbed his leg.

[deductionmaster.livejournal.com]

Tim felt completely relaxed and he took a moment before answering Cassie's question. "I can't be disappointed...it's exactly what I expected. I'm more...irritated than anything." He looked over at Kon because a part of him suspected that perhaps Kon had been listening anyway. "He wants me to take over one day. I know I might need to...but I still want to be me when I do it." He waited, worried, to see how Kon would react to that.

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

Irritated was good. Irritated might even be better than disappointed. Cassie knew, better than anyone, that anger was a better motivator than sorrow. It occurred to her, in a moment of quiet clarity, Bruce would agree. How annoying.

She also knew Kon would have none of this. Or, at the least, he would react badly. She glanced at him with some concern. "As long as you want that you will be," she said, and laced her fingers through his. "And you have us."

The solution was the problem was the solution. She held her breath.

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

"You don't need to if you don't want to," Kon grumbled. He squeezed Tim's side gently. "And you definitely don't have to be anyone but yourself. Wouldn't want you to be anyone else."

[deductionmaster.livejournal.com]

Tim looked at Kon first and smiled, a little sadly that the man was upset at all. "I know, and I'm grateful for that. I don't want to be someone else." He hummed quietly and looked over at Cassie.

"And, I know I have you both. That actually kept me clear today, and that's something he didn't get. I didn't beat him, but I didn't lose what I wanted to get across. That's different." He shrugged a bit, refusing to wince at the movement. "It'll all work out," he murmured, "...eventually."

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

She gave his hand a squeeze. "Yes, it will." Everything does. Hardly ever how they first imagined, though.

"But...you said you have no other expectations." Her eyes flickered once to Kon, then back to Tim's. "...How do you want it to work out?"

[ihavettk.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, we can make it work out." Kon kissed his shoulder and looked at Tim, waiting to hear the answer to Cassie's question.

[deductionmaster.livejournal.com]

Tim sighed and looked down at the floor, contemplating the question. "When I said expected...I meant that today was what I knew would happen." He looked up apologetically. "I knew I wasn't ready to beat him, but I knew that getting beaten down and still not giving in would show him that I meant what I said. I could have gone into everything he wanted if we hadn't happened...but I don't want to go back there. It's exhausting and I didn't remember what happy felt like. It sucked."

"As to how I want it to work out..." A small smile flitted across his face. "I want there to be a Gotham that doesn't need a Batman. ...Until that day comes, I want to do whatever I can to try to make that day happen, even if that means wearing the suit."

[butimwondergirl.livejournal.com]

Cassie latched onto '...but I don't want to go back there.' She felt warm, somehow. There had been a storm, she'd been forced to weather it right along side Tim; she'd been tested, too. And had not shown half so much mettle and strength of purpose.

Maybe someday.

She nodded once and embraced him. "I want that, too, my Tim."