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The mission had gone to hell in under six minutes.
One second, Tim Drake had been directing evacuation routes through comms while civilians poured out of the collapsing subway station.
Tim had looked at the timer on his hand and make a stupid but just decision. or so he believed (everyone in his life would not believe.).
The next-he was running.
“Robin, do NOT-” batman screamed through the comms, knowing what he was up to the second Tim changed route but unable to do anything about it. The entire east tunnel gave out. he was heading for the west, where the next bomb was.
it was way too late.
Kon had never felt fear hit that fast before but he couldn't go. he had to help the civilians he had to fight the urge to leave and 'save' tim.
“ROBIN REPORT!” Now Nightwing screeched. the comms were a mess of multiple bat family members and titans members panicking. all shouts and praying for one thing.
All they got in return was static and silence.
And for ten full minutes Kon genuinely thought that Tim—
Then the comm crackled weakly.
“…that could’ve gone better....treat is disabled.” Tim's voice silenced the comms. most of the people were out and about, it was just him left.
Kon nearly collapsed from relief and burning rage at the exact same time.
( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢
By the time they returned to the Tower several hours later, everyone looked exhausted, but Tim looked objectively terrible.
“You do NOT get to make calls like that alone.” superman tried to keep a level head.
Tim stared at the floor while his dad wrapped his ribs. he just wished this could be over fast. he wanted to go to bed.
“i know what I did wrong, I'm sorry. but I thought it was for the best if the structure fell-- ” Tim was interrupted during his very sincere speech. how dare?
“you will be benched for 3 weeks robin. ” batman jumped in.
Tim pouted. what was he going to do for 3 weeks? he almost wished he had stayed at the building and let it collapse on him. Tim fed his dad and Clark more reassurances until he yawned and was sent away to his room to sleep.
Tim made a pit stop at the pantry.
The titans tower pantry was the best thing to ever exist. since the tower held the teen heroes many who would go through boxes of cereal in seconds the pantry was very well funded.
In the processes of making his hot pocket and staring into the microwave window like a kid waiting for their dad to return home, he had sensed something weird. it was like something was watching him. he snapped around to see kon staring at him menacingly.
great.
"kon-" Tim started.
kon left the room.
( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢
Again, he had run into kon and Bart in the hallway.
"hey bart. hey kon" Tim said passing by.
"hey Tim!" bart responded, nothing from kon.
“Are you seriously not talking to me?”
...
he could have sworn he heard bart say Ooo before kon shut him up.
( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢
Tim had stopped trying by midnight when his advances were met with cold fury in kon's eyes.
( ｡ •̀ ᴖ •́ ｡)💢
Tim curled deeper beneath the blankets, wincing slightly as bruised ribs protested the movement. Then his bedroom door burst open. For one disoriented second, pure panic surged through him before he recognized the figure standing in the doorway.
“…Jesus Christ, Kon. You can’t just stand there like that.”
Kon said nothing. Tim swallowed once and immediately looked away from him, focusing instead on the blankets gathered in his lap.
Because he already knew why Kon was there. And because eye contact felt dangerous right now.
“Why are you here?” he asked quietly.
Silence stretched between them.
Then suddenly—
“WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING?!” kon's voice boomed.
The sheer force behind the question made Tim flinch.
Kon stepped fully into the room now, anger finally breaking through the silence he’d held onto all day.
“You could’ve died!”
“There wasn’t time-”
“Don’t.” Kon pointed sharply at him. “Don’t do that thing where you explain it like it suddenly becomes okay. cause it doesn't. you like looks more insane!”
Tim’s own frustration finally sparked.
“People were trapped!”
“And you decided that meant your life didn’t matter?”
“That is not what I said. My God! What are you, Twitter!?"
“It’s what you did Tim!”
Kon’s voice cracked loudly through the room, raw enough that Tim’s anger stumbled for a moment.
Kon looked furious, but underneath it his body language betrayed something else entirely. His hands kept flexing at his sides like he didn’t know what to do with them, His breathing was too fast, His shoulders were tense almost to the point of shaking.
“I couldn’t hear you,” Kon said suddenly. "I didn't know if it was my own panic or your stupidity but for a bit I couldn't hear you." weird. Kon literally had super hearing.
Tim looked up.
Tim looked away again.
Bad idea cause Kon immediately noticed. “You already accepted it, didn’t you?” Tim stayed quiet.
Kon stared at him in disbelief.
“You actually thought dying down there was an acceptable trade?”
“It saved people kon!-” Tim tried to reason.
“I DON’T CARE!” The shout hit hard enough that Tim physically recoiled. his hands shielded his face and went down just as fast when he realized what he did.
Kon looked horrified at himself immediately afterward. God, Tim you just had to act stupid. kon already had this fear of hurting the people he loved ever since the mind control incident. even at the slightest hint of any of his loved ones being hurt because of him or scared of him would make him clam up or start crying.
“I don’t care about the mission, Tim. I care that….you scared me half to death. i care that for 10 minutes i almost thought you….” kon said, he sounded tried and exhausted. like he wanted to crawl into Tim arms and cry which Tim would gladly accept.
"I'm sorry kon. I wont do it again, or at least I'll do it but with you." Tim reassured. Tim opened his arms on the bed like he was expecting a hug.
kon joined him on the bed with the speed of a flash but he didn't touch Tim at all. Tim noticed his breathing was shallow and looked him in the eyes.
Kon’s eyes looked glassy now and suddenly Tim realized this wasn’t just anger anymore. Kon was panicking.
“Kon.”
“I’m serious,” he said quickly, words starting to trip over each other. “You can’t keep doing this, you can’t keep acting like throwing yourself into danger is normal because one day-.... your fragile-so so fragile. I can't deal with-” His breath caught sharply. Kon stopped talking. he pressed a hand hard against his chest like he could physically force himself to calm down, but it only made his breathing more uneven.
“Hey,” Tim said quietly.
“I’m fine.” such a dumbo. Kon turned away sharply, shoulders rising and falling too fast now. Tim pushed himself carefully closer to the taller despite the ache in his ribs.
“Tim, don’t-”
“Come closer, you're so far away, you're on the same bed.” he was practically hanging off the edge..
Kon shifted closer and rested his head on Tim's chest. he looked like a kicked puppy who was refused food.
Tim brushed his hands through kon's hair taking out the tangles and a dried up blood drop kon must have missed while showering.
Slowly Tim got him to calm down.
Tim also found himself drifting away in the warmth that consumed him.
kon slept like a baby while he himself slept very lightly.
tomorrow everyone who never was there would get the news and Tim would be receiving very angry phone calls.
but that's for tomorrow today he could rest.