A Bird in the Hand
Title: A Bird in the Hand
Author: darthbatgirl
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I own nothing
Characters: Kon/Tim/Roy, mentions of Lian
Summary: Kon and Roy show Tim how to live in the moment
Warning: slight angst, slash, threesome
A/N: feel like I should apologize for how long it took to write this, plotbunnies were being stubborn during the whole thing. Plus it's kind of long, future parts won't be as long I promise (if they are it's going to take me forever to get through my table “grins”)
written for
dcu_freeforall, prompt: together. Also it is my entry for the february challenge, prompt coming from table 11(fluff)
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Strong hands pummeled into a reinforced punching bag. Low grunts accompanied each punch that was landed. Kon-El paused in his assault on the bag in the Titan's gym. He grabbed up a towel and mopped his face with it and then grabbed his water bottle and took a long drink from it.
He turned back to the bag and landed a hard blow on it. A glance at the clock told Kon-El that he had been in the gym for over two hours. Two hours trying to work through the growing frustration he was feeling and saw no solutions of fixing it.
Conner Kent, Kon-El, Superboy, whatever name you wanted to call him, had returned to the land of the living. And in true super hero fashion, did it during a crisis which the existence of the earth was in the balance. With the combined strength of the earth's heroes, and the final blow performed by Superboy, the hordes of would be conquerers were beaten back. The welcome back for Kon overshadowed any and all others in the super hero community. Kon would personally tell anyone that the memory of Wonder Woman hugging him was going down as one of his all time favorites.
Kon lived in Metropolis now, going to college and living with Clark and Lois, and now little brother Chris. (Kon had decided that for Christmas he was getting Clark a dictionary and highlighting all the other letters that was not 'C' or 'K'.) On his return, he and Cassie had a heart to heart. Things had definitely changed between them. They were more like brother and sister than reunited lovers. And Cassie had revealed she had fallen in love with his cousin Kara. (A person dies for a couple of years and a whole bunch of things change.) Things were looking up for Kon, he was finally getting a hang of who Conner Kent was, had rejoined to Titans and became a leader instead of just one of the troops, and had a family to call his own. Only one thing was left to make Kon's life perfect. One thing that he had wanted longer than any of the others
Robin the Boy Wonder, aka, Tim Drake.
The one thing that he just couldn't get. No matter how hard he tried. It's not like Tim wasn't happy to see him, for the first three months of Kon's return, the two young men were rarely seen without each other. It was more like Tim was fighting against his own feelings for him. Several times when they were alone Kon was sure that Tim almost - almost said the words that he was longing to hear. The words that would allow Kon to claim Tim as his own. But they never came, Tim would draw back behind the walls that he had built up around himself, and Kon was left punching a bag in the Titan's gym.
“You look a little stressed Superboy.”
Kon looked up to see Red Arrow standing there, a friendly smile on his face.
“Hey Arrow,” Kon nodded in greeting.
“So what's got you all stressed today, boy of steel?”
Kon shrugged as he turned back to the punching bag, “Personal stuff I guess.”
Red Arrow nodded as he held the bag for Kon, “Let me guess. He's 5'5, eyes of blue, and hangs out with the dark and creepy crowd back in Gotham.”
Kon paused again as he regarded Red Arrow. Since coming back, he didn't really cover up what he was feeling for Tim - didn't think he had to. But since Tim was being resistant to the whole relationship thing, Kon would get sympathetic looks in regards to his pursuit of the youngest bat, but no one ever really commented on the disaster it was becoming.
“What's there to talk about? I've got my best friend back.”
“Uh-uh, except that that's not what you want and you're pretty sure that's not what he wants.”
“No offense Arrow, but what do you know about it?”Kon said as he landed another punch.
“Call me Roy. Believe it or not I know Tim pretty well, almost better than anyone else. Tim's holding back, . . . with both of us.”
Kon paused, “What does that suppose to mean?”
“You've been gone for a good couple years Kon, you think no else would fall for him?”
“I - I guess I really didn't think about it,” Kon said as he lowered his arm. “But he never mentioned dating anyone.”
“We're not dating,” Roy said with a sigh at Kon's confused look. “It's complicated.”
“You know suddenly I've got a free afternoon.”
With a nod, Roy gestured to a row of benches along one wall. As they went to sit down, Roy began, “When you died it was one more person that Tim lost in a really short time, then the Bats went away for a year and came back, then we almost lost both Bart and Connor, Tim developed some abandonment issues. As much as Dick loves his little brother, he wasn't getting through to him. So he called me up to help - getting left behind is something I can understand.”
“I didn't leave him by choice,” Kon said darkly.
“Hey I know that, you asked what went down and that's apart of it,” Roy said soothingly. “Tim and I got close - really close and then I ended up falling for him. And I could tell that he was feeling the same - there would be times that he almost gave in but then . . .”
“He'd draw back,” Kon finished.
“Yeah, so I thought if I just gave him enough time he'd come around. Then you came back.”
“So you just backed off?”
“There's only one person other than Tim that their happiness means the world to me and thats Lian,” Roy said with a shrug. “If he's being with you made him happy and took away his pain, then I was willing to back off.”
“You're a stronger man than I am,” Kon admitted. “I don't think I could walk away from Tim so easy.”
Roy snorted, “Who said it's been easy? Do you know the number of times I wanted to shove a piece of kryptonite in your face?”
Kon chuckled at that and casted a speculative glance at Roy, taking in the broad shoulders and the piercing green eyes, seeing how Tim could easily fall for the red haired archer. “So I don't get it. Tim's got two hot guys chasing after him, and he's holding both of us at arm's length. Why?”
“He's scared. He's lost so many people that he's terrified of losing anyone else, of having to go through the pain again. It's wearing him down”
“But I came back.”
“One person he gets back. Tim's enough of a bat to still be waiting for the other shoe to drop.”
“He's a Robin not a Bat,” Kon mumbled as he got up and moved to the punching bag.
“You should remind him of that,” Roy said as he watched Kon go back to hitting the bag.
“So what do we do now?” Kon asked. “Pistols at dawn. Winner gets Tim.”
“If only it was that easy,” Roy said with a smile as he walked over to him. “He needs both of us. I know we can get through to him, we can make him happy if we do it together.”
“So . . . we share him or something?”
Roy laid a hand on Kon's should and gentle turned him around. He cupped Kon's cheek and leaned in and kissed him. “Or something.”
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Tim slumped in his chair at his computer desk feeling utterly exhausted. It had been a day off from both school and Robin activities for him and he had spent it with Kon and Roy. At an attempt to spoil his oldest grandson, and to show up Clark, Lois Lane's father had promised Kon his own car. So Kon had dragged Roy and Tim to every car dealership in Metropolis looking for 'the' car. At the end of the day they had ended up at Kon's favorite pizza place going over the lengthy list of cars Kon had to show Mr. Lane. Tim rated the cars on engine power, driving performance, and gas mileage. Roy busied himself between teasing Kon about how most of the one's he liked were blue and red and rating the cars on the size of the back seat. Kon, not to be outdone, joined in and the conversation quickly turned into veiled and not so veiled remarks that had both men laughing.
Tim still couldn't figure out how Kon and Roy had started up their friendship. There was no denying that the two of them had a chemistry together, both had a charm and a sense of humor that had most people eating out of their hand, and both knew how to be serious when the time called for it. But as far as Tim could tell outside of the obvious Titans connection, the only thing that they had in common was . . him.
The glances that both Kon and Roy cast on him while they were joking around was not lost on him.
Tim knew how they both felt about him. Tim knew Roy wanted more than friendship and Kon had not bothered keeping his feelings a secret. But Tim had been able to keep things light between them all. Tim knew that his way was the best for all involved, no one would have to get hurt or be left alone.
He just wasn't expecting Roy and Kon to become friends. That had changed everything. His duo had become a threesome as he, Kon, and Roy spent more and more time together. Where he was able to rebuff Kon's TTK caresses and steer Roy's more suggestive conversation to more innocent avenues; it was beginning to be more and more difficult to fend off the combination of Roy's warm breath against his skin as he whispered a joke in Tim's ear and Kon's protective arm slung over his shoulders. Tim couldn't deny it any longer, he had fallen in love with both of them.
But that would be a fact he kept buried within himself. He couldn't go down that path again, he couldn't risk his heart - he wouldn't survive when it broke again. Tim didn't believe in happily ever after anymore.
The ringing of his cell phone brought Tim out of his musing. With a glance at the caller ID, Tim gave a bittersweet smile as he answered, “Hello.”
“Hey Tim,” Kon's warm voice carried over the phone line. “Not interrupting anything am I?”
No Kon, wasn't doing anything at the moment. What's up?”
“Just wanted to make sure you packed your swim trunks for the weekend.”
“Swim trunks?”
“Yeah, Roy was able to sweet talk Cyborg into doing a beach party on Saturday,” Kon said. Tim could practically hear his face light up with a smile. “He thinks he can get the girls to watch Lian for us in the evening so we can go out too.”
“So Roy and Lian is coming for the weekend?”
“Yep, and Frisco beach may not have the waves that Hawaii has, but I can finally get to teach you how to surf.”
In spite of himself Tim laughed. Ever since Kon came back, he's been threatening to take Tim to Hawaii to teach him how to surf. A task Tim deemed impossible.
“You can try Kon. You can try,” Tim said still laughing.
“So see you this weekend Tim?”
“Yeah Kon, I'll see you this weekend.”
Tim hung up his phone and then went down to lay on his bed. He would keep his heart in check, he could be happy with just the friendship he had with Kon and Roy. He didn't believe in happily ever after anymore.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
The sun beat down and the waves crashed against the beach. The call of the seagulls and the smell of sea salt assaulted Tim's senses as he sat on the beach blanket.. He smiled as he watched Lian slowly and steadily bury Beast Boy in a mountain of sand. A cry of victory brought Tim's attention to the volleyball game that was taking place between Kon and Kara vs Cassie and Kory. Tim didn't need to ask who won, the smugness on Kon's face said it all.
“He's going to be unbearable for the rest of the day,” Roy said as he looked over his sunglasses at the approaching young man.
Tim smiled as he nodded in agreement, “All we're going to hear about is his superiority at the fine art of volleyball.”
“I didn't even know that volleyball was an art,” Roy said.
That got a laugh out of Tim as Kon came up and threw himself down on the towel. “And that boys and girls is how a well planned game of volleyball is played.”
“Yes oh supreme one, we bow down to your mastery over ball and net,” Roy mocked as he bowed in Kon's direction.
“Is he mocking me?” Kon asked as he turned to Tim. “It sounds as if archer boy is mocking me.”
Tim shook his head as he waved off his two friends, “I am so not getting involved in you two acting like two year olds.”
“Aw, Timmy doesn't want to play,” Kon said pouting.
“Well then, do something useful and get my back will you?” Roy said as he tossed a bottle of suntan lotion at Kon. “Some of us actually tend to burn in the sun.”
“Damn red heads that don't get enough sun,” Kon said as he caught the bottle and moved to Roy's side.
Tim busied himself with reading the book that he had brought with him and tried not to pay attention as Kon leaned over as Roy stretched out on his stomach and began to massage the lotion into Roy's back. Tim tried not study how Kon's hands made long sweeping strokes down Roy's back and tried not to cataloged the soft sounds of pleasure that Roy made under Kon's care. It was only the thought of Lian sitting only a few feet away that stopped his own body from betraying his own want.
“I think I'll take a quick dip,” Tim said as he got up and walked into the ocean to put some distance between him and his obvious want.
“I think somethings bothering our little bird,” Kon with a smirk as he spoke in Roy's ear.
“Mmh-hum, maybe you should find something to distract him with,” Roy said smiling as he watched Tim dive into the water and resurface.
“Sounds like a good idea,” Kon said as he stood. “You coming old man?”
“In a minute, got to check in on our girl,” Roy said as he nodded toward Lian. Kon nodded as he flew out to where Tim had swam out to. With a arch to to his back, Kon dove next to where Tim was treading water, splashing Tim as he disappeared beneath the water. He broke through the surface to be greeted by face full of water. “Hey!”
“That's what you get for almost landing on me you jerk,” Tim said as he treaded water.
Kon shrugged as he floated on his back, “That's alright, just as long as I'm your jerk,”
Tim just shook his head, as he touched down on the ocean floor, the water coming up to his shoulders. Tim closed his eyes and let his arms float on top of the water.
“I am, aren't I?” Kon asked.
“You are what?”
“Yours.”
Tim cast a nervous glance over at Kon, knowing the answer Kon wanted, knowing the answer a large part of him wanted to give, “Yes Kon you're my jerk. I hear everyone has one these days.”
“Ha ha very funny,” Kon said as he kicked out once bringing him closer to Tim. “You should make up a routine and hit the comedy bars.”
“Yeah we can get pictures of you trying to teach me how to surf again.” Tim said with a chuckle.
Kon threw an annoyed glance Tim's way, “How was I suppose to know that you'd be hopeless when it came to surfing?”
“The fact that I told you?”
The two shared a smile as Kon floated close enough to touch Tim's arm. With one gentle stroke down down Tim's arm, he closed his eyes reveling in the feel, wondering how it was different from the strong even strokes Kon had done down Roy's back.
“Tim?”
“Hmmm?” Tim lazily opened his eyes to find Kon standing right in front of him.
“Roy's calling us back in for lunch, Lian's hungry,” Kon said, and with that the touch was gone as Kon headed back to the beach.
With a gulp of air, Tim steadied his breathing and followed after at slower rate, cursing himself for his own weakness. By the time Tim got back to the beach Kon was already dried off and was busy tickling Lian, making the little girl shriek in laughter.
Tim felt a smile spread across his face despite his conflicting emotions. Lian was a light in his life that he cherished beyond anything.
“Pretty picture aren't they,” Roy said as he draped a towel over Tim's shoulders. “A man would be very lucky to come home to house that held that much love and laughter. Tim silently agreed. As much as he considered Alfred and Bruce his family, there will never be the warmth at Wayne Manor that would await him at a home that contained Lian, Kon, and Roy. But it was nothing more than a wistful dream wasn't it?
“The nice thing about having a home like that, is that there's always room for one more,” Roy said softly as he began to rub Tim's arms dry.
Tim shivered at Roy's words, unconsciously, he leaned into Roy's touch as a small traitorous part of his mind supplied him with images of domestic bliss that he was pretty sure he couldn't find else where.
“Lian misses you, you know,” Roy continued, happy with Tim's response. “She's not the only one. The house seems a little quiet without my favorite bird there. Why don't you come by this week? . . Stay a day or two?”
Tim looked up into Roy's eyes, blue met green, and like whenever he looked into Kon's, Tim could feel himself falling into them.
“Hey Tim!” Gar shouted over from the water, where he stood with Kid Devil and Rose around a tangled pair of water skies. “We can't get the skies untangled,” he shouted over sheepishly.
Tim looked over at Gar and the others with a start, Roy bit back a curse as Tim walked toward the other Titans, leaving Roy holding nothing but the towel.
Suddenly a ripple of sand rushed past Roy to hit the water, causing a wave to soak the green skinned changeling.
Roy glanced down at Kon as removed his hand from the sand. “Why Mr. Kent,that was rather petty of you.”
“Thank you for noticing, Mr Harper,” Kon answered as he glared over at the Titans that had taken Tim's attention away from them.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Tim stood at the window of his room at Titan's Tower. His arms wrapped around his waist as he lost himself in thought. The images of earlier in the day played across his mind. He was suppose to keep Kon and Roy at arms length, he was suppose to stay in control, but a touch from Kon and a whispered remark from Roy and he was willing to fall in their arms without thought or question.
Tim knew what going that route entailed, heartache and despair. And Tim was tired of feeling that. Tired of having to pick up the pieces of his heart as he lost yet someone else he cared for. The solution to the problem was easy the practical part of his mind said, leave them. The heart can't break if there was no one there to break it.
But that was the problem, Tim was tired of being alone as well as he was tired of being hurt. For the past few years he was nothing more than a spectator in life, going through the motions and saying the right things to keep the people who loved him from being concerned for him. But he never felt like he was a part of anything.
“Tim you're thinking again,” Kon said as he flew up to Tim's window.
“Sorry, to good of training,” Tim said with a rueful smile.
Kon answered Tim's smile with one of his own as he shrugged at Tim's comment. “Ready to go?”
Tim raised an eyebrow, “Go? Go where, and where's Roy? Thought he was coming with us?”
“We're meeting Roy there, and no I'm not going to tell you where,” Kon said as he reached for Tim.
Tim allowed Kon to pull him out the window as Kon wrapped an arm around Tim's waist as Tim threw an arm around Kon's shoulders. Tim smiled as he thought of how Kon used to grumble about just holding Tim's hand to fly him places, now he was absolutely livid if he didn't have least one arm wrapped securely around Tim. As they flew away from Titan's Tower, Tim felt the familiar solid nothingness of Kon's TTK wrap around him. It took an effort not to lay his head on Kon's shoulder, knowing he was safe in his best friend's embrace.
Tim's confusion though only deepened as Kon flew them not only away from Titan's Tower, but from the city as well. Soon the lights of the city were well behind them. Only the stars lit their way as they made their way to a destination only Kon knew. Soon they came to a small grass covered hill in the middle of no where. A large blanket was spread out with a picnic basket to one side, a couple of lanterns were sitting around giving off light. All in all a very intimate and romantic setting. Tim and Kon landed softly on the hill, and Roy smiled up at them from his reclined position on the blanket. “It's about time you two showed up.” Roy said.
“Not to sound stupid or anything,” Tim said as he unconsciously backed away from the intimate setting, “But I thought we were going out to some club or something tonight?”
Kon smiled as he gracefully fell on the blanket next to Roy. “To nice of a night to spend it indoors, believe it or not I'm getting rather found of star gazing. Guess Kansas did have some good points after all.”
“Besides,” Roy added. “It's easier to have a conversation when there isn't a bass booming in your ear trying to make you go deaf.”
“What's there to talk about?” Tim asked trying to keep the mounting nervousness out of his voice as he sat on the very edge of the blanket.
“Lots of stuff,” Roy said as he and Kon shared a roll of the eyes at Tim's place on the blanket.
“And you're too far away,” Kon said. Tim once again felt the embrace of the TTK surround him and pull him in between Kon and Roy.
“Hey!”
“Relax Tim, we're not going to bite you,” Kon said with smirk. “Not unless you want us to.”
“Not funny Kon,” Tim said as he tried to stand up but was stopped by Roy's arm around his waist.
“It's all right,” Roy whispered in his ear. “We have you, you're safe.”
“I think this was a mistake. I think I need to go back to the tower,” Tim said as he manged to slip out of Roy's embrace and walk off the blanket.
“Tim please lets just talk about this for a minute,” Kon said after Tim's retreating form.
“Talk about what?”
“Us, the three of us”
“There isn't any 'us' Kon.” Tim said with a shake of his head.
“Only because you keep pulling away.”
Tim looked beseechingly at Roy, “You know this can't happen.”
Roy shook his head as both he and Kon stood up. “No I don't. I know how I feel about you. I know how Kon feels about you. I know how you feel about us, even if you're trying to hide it.”
“We love you,” Kon said simply.
Tim squeezed his eyes shut. Whether he was trying to shut out Roy and Kon or the waging war that was going on in his heart he didn't know. “ . .I don't . . I can't . .you don't know what it's like.”
Tim felt two pairs of arms wrap around him, pulling him tight between two chests. “ We won't leave you.” Kon said as he pulled Tim's head against his shoulder.
“Yes you will,” Tim said into his chest. “Everyone does and I'm left behind. I can't go through that again. You don't know what you're asking me to do.
“We're asking you to be happy. We're asking for a chance to be the ones that make you happy,” Roy said as he placed a kiss to Tim's temple.
“You'll leave.”
“Not without a fight,” Kon said as he tighten his embrace
“At this moment we're together. At the next moment we're still together. And the moment after that I'm pretty sure we're still together,” Roy whispered as he ran his fingers through Tim's hair. “That's what we can give you. A life time of moments, and that's what we want from you. Life hasn't been overly kind to any of us. But it seems a waste not to be happy in the moments that are given to us.”
At that point the practical part of Tim's mind fell silent as he looked up and met Kon's lips with a gentle kiss as Roy kissed the back of Tim's neck. He wrapped on arm around Kon's waist, pulling him close, and tangled his other hand in Roy's to short hair, holding his head in place. Perhaps Tim didn't need to believe in happily ever after, maybe all he needed to believe in was the moment.