He said, "I’m gonna be like you, Dad, you know I’m gonna be like you"

[theshortestbird]

Who: Tim Drake and Blaine Anderson
When: 4/13 Afternoon.
Where: The apartment in sector 11.
Summary: Tim lost his dad. Again.
Warnings: Angst. Possible talk of drug use. Will update as needed.

There could only be one reason why Tim had gotten that text. Only one reason; Bruce had never been the type to say something like that just because it was any given day. Everyone must have gotten those texts, and it could only mean that he was gone. Again. He was gone again, and while Tim had hit up his NV, the fact that he had gotten the "contact not found" message, it was over.

He'd called out sick from work, today, even though he knew that now that Bruce was gone, he'd need to work harder. But today seemed like a very good day to stay in bed, in the dark, fiddling with his camera. Which wasn't going to get fixed or anything, because it was dark in his room.

In the middle of the day. He should do something useful. Something for work. Something for the Titans. Nope.

Comments

[mediumdrip]

Blaine opened the door. He was wearing that bracelet that Tim had left on his bed. He frowned a bit at the state of the room.

"Tim?" he asked as his hand moved to turn on the light. "What happened? Are you okay?"

People didn't just sit in the dark when they were feeling happy and healthy.

[theshortestbird]

If he did turn on the light, he'd notice that Tim had thrown the blanket over his head to block out the light. He hated that feeling, when the lights were turned on after being dark for so long, and it hurt your eyes at first.

"I'm okay," He said, a little muffled from the blanket, and he slowly pulled it back down so he could see his friend. His face was drawn and pinched, dark circles under his eyes. Otherwise, he was fine.

"Rough night last night. Really rough night. How are you?"

[mediumdrip]

Blaine turned the light back off when he saw the state of Tim's face. Instead he just carefully moved to Tim's bed from the light of the still slightly open door. When he somehow made it to Tim's side without being able to see a lot he put his hand on the edge of the bed.

"Can I sit down? Or did you get hurt?" He was worried 'rough night' meant that some monster or criminal had gotten the upper hand on Red Robin.

[theshortestbird]

"Come on, sit down," Tim nodded, even if it was so dark that they couldn't really see that well. He moved over on the bed, making some room for his friend to sit down. "I'm not hurt. A couple of bruises, but it's nothing serious."

He paused, pulling his legs up to his chest and sighing. "What I'm going to tell you is strictly confidential. If you can't handle it, let me know now."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine sat with him and moved a bit so that his arm was next to Tim. He didn't wrap his arm around his friend the way he would with Kurt, but he was there for support if it was needed.

"I can. I won't tell anyone," he promised. He hadn't told anyone anything that Tim had shared with him. He wasn't even going to tell Kurt.

[theshortestbird]

Tim sighed, blowing out air, a lock of hair fluttering in front of his face.

"Batman... he's gone. He got sent home," Tim squeezed his eyes shut; this was hard to say. Not again. At least this time he wasn't dead. Just. Gone. " We have to figure out what to do, now. Everyone is just... leaving. I know he's not dead, but I lost my father again. And now someone needs to take up the cowl."

[mediumdrip]

At that, Blaine did reach out and touch Tim. His hand rested on Tim's shoulder. He didn't know what to say about this. Lately, when people disappeared he would just say that they would be coming back. It was possible the same would happy with Batman too.

The last part of what Tim was saying caught his attention though. "Who?" he asked, not sure he understood. "

[theshortestbird]

He shuddered at the touch, not because he didn't expect it, or didn't appreciate it. But it threatened to break the little bit of barrier he had to hold on to his emotions. He could come back. Tim knew he could come back. But in the middle of all this, it was hard to look on the bright side.

"Me, or Cass. I know Cass wants it. She does, she's always wanted it. But he left it up to me, now. No one else is here who could do it. Even Cass... she's a great fighter. She is. But there's more to it then fighting. And I'm the only one here who can do it all."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine didn't pull away because there was a moment where he realized what that meant and he couldn't. Tim would have to become the Batman? But that was so crazy and dangerous.

He didn't trust himself to say anything. Instead he was there with his friend. "I'm so sorry about your father," he said instead. He couldn't touch the topic of what Tim had to do now. It would mean he'd end up asking Tim not to do it, and didn't think that was his place.

[theshortestbird]

It was crazy. It was crazy, and dangerous, and Tim had seen the future where he had become Batman. He'd seen how that was, had seen what he became. He didn't like it, not now, and not then.

"It's okay. At least I know he's not dead like last time," Tim sighed. "There's just no other choice, now. Even if I'm not as tall as he is. I won't fit into his costume."

A stupid thing to be worried about, he knew that, but it was better then worrying about the alternative.

[mediumdrip]

"Then don't?" Blaine suggested. "Batman is a target, isn't he? That crazy clown for one. It's really dangerous for you..."

[theshortestbird]

"There's really no choice in any of this," Tim shook his head. "Joker is one of them. But he needs Batman around to stay... not sane, but to stay how he is normally. If he finds out that Batman is gone, he's going to get worse. And that's just one person. We need to protect the whole city."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine didn't know what to say to that. It all just seemed so insane. Instead he shifted a bit and moved so that he was turned towards Tim a little more.

"I'm here, okay? I can't help with the crime fighting, but if you ever need my help I'm here. I want to make sure to make this as easy for you as I can."

[theshortestbird]

Tim smiled slightly, reaching a hand out to touch Blaine's.

"Thank you. For being there for me when I needed it. Even now..." He trailed off, blinking, as an idea came to mind. "How are you with computers?"

[mediumdrip]

"I'm okay with them? I'm not a genius or anything." Blaine moved his hand after a moment to hold Tim's.

[theshortestbird]

Tim looked down at their hands, pausing a moment and then smiling, giving it a squeeze. "Well, we're looking for a new Oracle. You could become a superhero and fight crime with us. All you need to do is monitor the computers, which doesn't take a lot to do."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine tucked his lips together for a moment. "I don't know," he said after a moment. As much as he really, really wanted to help out, it would conflict with his work. "I might be able to on nights I don't have to be at Purgatory?"

[theshortestbird]

"I understand, don't worry," Tim nodded slowly. "But if you have the time, or if you could ever switch your schedule. Or, even if you only work Monday and Tuesday nights?"

He smiled a little. "Not that I'm pressuring you to do it. But now that he's gone, I don't know how much time I'll get to do that. And I need to be there to help the new team. It's just something that would be really helpful."

[mediumdrip]

"Monday and Tuesday aren't really busy nights for a night club," Blaine pointed out, though it was clear from his expression (what Tim could see of it in the limited light anyway) he really wanted to do this. He wanted to help Tim out like that.

[theshortestbird]

"No?" Tim narrowed his eyes a little, carefully looking at him. It wasn't in a bad way; not at all. He just wanted to be sure Blaine understood this. From what he could see, he did.

"Are you sure you'd like to do this? We'll take whatever we can get. Seriously. Whenever you can spare the time."

[mediumdrip]

"What about the other days? What would you do then?" Blaine asked seriously. He looked at Tim carefully.

[theshortestbird]

"We have someone who I'm teaching how to use the computer system. And regular computers, because she never dealt with them before. Or phones. Or anything that would be considered technology," Tim frowned. "We can figure it out. You could train her so I didn't have to, and she would take the days that you can't."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine nodded then. "Okay," he said. "I'll do it. If we can work around my schedule with the club." He smiled a bit. "Maybe we can even set something up with my NV or something else so I can help monitor things and be available during my downtime at the club, between performances or backstage, that kind of thing?"

[theshortestbird]

Tim grinned. His spirits were lifting, now, and maybe all of this would be okay. It seemed like it would be okay.

"I really owe you one for this," Tim squeezed his hand, almost forgetting that he was holding it. "We can do that. I have it all attached to my NV, it's easy to get it to go onto your NV. You can monitor all the Titan stuff, too, so you won't need to carry around the communicator."

[mediumdrip]

Blaine nodded. "Okay good. I would like that. I'd like to help you. Plus if I know what's happening I won't have to worry about you as much."