It was going to be a long night...

[theshortestbird]

Who: Tim Drake (theshortestbird) and Blaine Anderson (mediumdrip)
When: Backdated to the 31st.
Where: Tim and Cass' Apartment in Sector 7.
Summary: Blaine and Kurt got into a fight, and Blaine went to Tim's to talk.
Warnings: Mentions of drug use, possible swearing, boys being boys, talk of sexual situations.

There was something that everyone who was a masked vigilante had to go through, and that was whether they could protect their family and friends, or if they needed to go on with their duty to the people they needed to protect. Those people were hundreds, thousands, millions, worldwide. Which was why Tim was in a bit of a bind, when he got that phone call from his friend. His friend who was in a lot of pain right now, and needed his help. A friend who didn't deserve everything he was put through.

But at the same time, Tim was not home when he got the call. In fact, he was crouched down on a roof in sector four, scanning the police radio for anything he could help out with, as Red Robin. And with the disappearance of Steph, and now Dick, they all needed to be working right now.

But Tim had learned the hard way that family and friends needed to come first. And so, when Blaine finally made it to his apartment, Tim's already back, pulling on a t-shirt with his costume stuffed into the closet.

Comments

[mediumdrip]

Blaine knocked politely on the door. He still looked a little loss, but at least he wasn't crying or reacting horribly emotionally anymore.

He still felt as if he had broken something important.

[theshortestbird]

Tim opened the door a little bit after Blaine knocked, opening it wide and giving him a small, sympathetic smile.

"Hey there. Come on in, I've got coffee brewing if you want some."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine nodded at that. "Yeah, yeah. I'd love some, thank you."

[theshortestbird]

Tim nodded, gesturing for him to have a seat on the couch as he went into the small kitchen and got out two coffee mugs.

"So what happened?"

[mediumdrip]

"He noticed that some of our money was missing," Blaine explained after a moment. He said it a little heavily, hinting towards where that money had actually gone. "I freaked out when he asked me where it went. I said I needed it for work but... There's no way he knows where it really went but I was panicking. I said horrible things to him."

Blaine looked down at the floor, shame filling him. He couldn't believe that he had let his life get to this point, that he would scream at Kurt over money he had spent on drugs.

What was he becoming?

[theshortestbird]

...Well. Shit. That was not a good thing. Not good at all.

"That happens, when you're keeping the fact that you're on drugs from the people who matter to you," Tim said conversationally, bringing two steaming mugs over and taking a seat on the couch next to him. "So what are you going to do?"

[mediumdrip]

Blaine winced slightly at how easily Tim said and then then looked over at him. "I don't know," he admitted after a moment. "I'm not ready to tell him. I don't want him to know how much I've screwed up."

[theshortestbird]

Tim nodded, silent for a moment as he looked down into the dark depths of his mug. He started to say something, paused, and then tried again.

"He might be more upset if he finds out you've been lying to him, not just doing drugs," He glanced over.

[mediumdrip]

"He's going to be upset no matter what I do," Blaine said after a moment. "I think the only thing I can do is hide it for as long as possible. Hold it off to be happy a little bit longer."

[theshortestbird]

"Okay," Tim nodded, taking a sip of his coffee. "How much stuff do you have left? And where are you getting it from? I know you're not making it on your own."

Not that he would do anything, but if he needed to go out and beat down some drug dealers, then that might be the best way to start.

[mediumdrip]

"There's a guy," Blaine admitted after a moment. "He's the one that told me about them." He looked over at Tim. "Do you make yours?" Tim was a genius after all, he could probably do that.

[theshortestbird]

"Yeah. I figured that if I want to keep doing them, I need to make sure my side effects aren't as bad as the first ones. They're not pretty, but they get the job done," Tim nodded, pulling his feet under him on the couch.

[mediumdrip]

Blaine wanted to ask if he could take some off Tim's hands, but saying that just seemed so low. He didn't want to ask his friend to become his dealer too. It was too twisted. Instead he nodded and sipped at his coffee.

[theshortestbird]

He'd slip him some discreetly into his pocket or something, before he left. Discreet while not being discreet, that was what he would have to do.

"So, what are you going to do?" He asked after a few quiet minutes had passed.

[mediumdrip]

"I don't know. I'll probably text him tonight, make sure that he's okay." After a moment Blaine sighed and just leaned back into his seat. "It's really up to him what happens next. He's the one who has been wronged." After a moment. "I can't believe how much I'm lying to him."

[theshortestbird]

"I still say you shouldn't lie to him," Tim shook his head. "I know it's tough right now, but it's also not... I mean, if he cares about you, sure, he'll be mad. But like I said, it's going to be worse the longer you wait."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine shook his head. "I just want to be happy a little bit longer, okay?" He paused as he sipped at his coffee again. "Just a little bit longer."

[theshortestbird]

Tim nodded. A little bit longer. Isn't that what they all wanted? It's what Tim wanted. He wanted to be happy. He wanted... a lot of things that he didn't think he would ever get. But if Blaine wanted to be happy, and he knew how to be?

"How's work going?"

[mediumdrip]

Blaine was much more comfortable talking about that. "I love it. It's a weird schedule, but it's still worth it. It's giving me a lot of amazing experience."

After a moment. "I just wish I made more money."

[theshortestbird]

"I'd ask you how much you make, but that'd be rude," Tim smirked a little, sipping his coffee. "Maybe you could get a second job? Most people here have them."

[mediumdrip]

He nodded at that. It sounded so exhausting, but it was probably a good idea. "That or I should give up in performing and get a job that provides more money."

[theshortestbird]

"Don't do that. If it's something that you like to do, you shouldn't have to give it up. You could find a really easy second job, being a waiter, or working at a coffee shop... being a tester for products? That's pretty easy," Tim nodded. "Just give up something that makes you happy."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine smiled a bit. "Being a tester for products?" he asked, chuckling a bit. It seemed like the most random suggestion.

[theshortestbird]

"Yeah!" Tim grinned. "I work at Violet Systems, and they're always looking for testers for their new products. Stuff like testing security systems and stuff for the police. It's really easy work and it pays a lot."

[mediumdrip]

"How do you work as a tester for security systems? Do they pay you to break in?"

[theshortestbird]

"Pretty much, yeah. You get to try to break in, or attack someone or something? You could use your boxing skills for that. Like I said, it's really very easy," Tim nodded, taking a sip of his coffee.

[mediumdrip]

"That might be fun," Blaine admitted after a moment. "And having extra income would be a good idea. I just don't know if I'd be any good at trying to break in anywhere." He smirked a bit at Tim. "Unless you think I have the look of a juvenile delinquent?"

[theshortestbird]

"Well, you do look like you might go and rob a clothing store, but that just might be because of what you're wearing today," Tim grinned.

[mediumdrip]

"I know," he said after a moment and then settled back. "Next time I storm out I should really put on some decent clothes."

[theshortestbird]

"Probably a good idea. You might have to borrow clothes from me, and I'm not sure if we have the same style. Close, but not quite," Tim laughed.

[mediumdrip]

Blaine chuckled a bit and then nodded. "I don't know. I think I could pull it off if I needed to."

[theshortestbird]

"But I don't wear little bowties. What will you do without them?" Tim teased.

[mediumdrip]

Blaine grins a bit. "I think I can survive a couple days."

[theshortestbird]

"I don't know about that. I'll bet you five bucks that you can't go a week without wearing a bowtie in any capacity," Tim smirked. He fully expected to win that bet.

[mediumdrip]

"I have, and I can wear polos and things," Blaine defended himself with a grin, though he didn't seem ready to take that bet.

[theshortestbird]

"Yeah, but the urge is going to be there to open up your closet and pick out something a little more flashy, and that's when you're going to stand there and realize something important," Tim remarked, taking a sip of coffee. "That you now owe your friend, Tim, five bucks."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine laughed slightly at that. "Yeah, I might as well hand over the money now if I was going to take that bet."

[theshortestbird]

"Called it," Tim snorted softly, folding his legs under him. "So..." He paused, trying to figure out what to talk about now. He was silent for a moment, not because he couldn't, but. He wanted to help, even if Blaine didn't want to talk about it.

So he'd figure out another way. "Do you ever play any video games?"

[mediumdrip]

"Once or twice. Are you suggesting we use one now as a form of distraction?" Blaine's eyebrow raised a bit and he grinned, clearly liking that idea.

[theshortestbird]

"Can you think of a better way to distract yourself?" Tim grinned. "I have way too many consoles and games for someone to ever have, but I can't think of anything more fun to do on a Saturday night when I don't want to go out."

[mediumdrip]

"I think you have just come up with the best idea ever," he chuckles. "Should I get snacks or something while you set it up?"

[theshortestbird]

"That sounds like a good plan. There's food in the pantry and the fridge, so... we can eat anything, literally, Cass won't mind as long as I replace it eventually," Tim said, getting up and draining the rest of his cup of coffee as he stretched. Passing by the kitchen, he set the cup in the sink and went into his room to get the video game equipment.

They had a lot. Sure, they could train in the Batcave that was made in this city, but sometimes it was easier to do things from home. And Tim was a boy who needed things to play when he wasn't sleeping in and working.