[Fic] East of the Sun, 11/11 (Tim/Kon/Cissie)
Title: East of the Sun 11/11
Authors: lady-sarai and zoe-chan
Fandom: DC Comics
Characters: Tim Drake/Kon-El (Conner Kent)/Cissie King-Jones
Rating: PG
Word Count: 20,600... give or take.
Summary: Kon and Cissie learn that Tim has set off on a crazy solo mission to find Bruce--despite the fact that the whole world thinks Batman is dead. They set out to find him, but when they do, he is not as eager to see them as they had expected. They decide to tag along with him--to keep him grounded, and because they think he needs their help. Along the way, the three grow closer and become tied together in unexpected ways.
Authors' Note: Written for polybigbang, which was so fun. Canon-wise, this draws on events from Red Robin 1-3, but because it was started and plotted back in June, it turns AU before the end of Red Robin 3. It is entirely AU from Adventure Comics, sadly, as that did not come out until August. Our dear beta, xenokattz, managed to read and understand it without knowing recent canon, though. Because she is that awesome.
~*~
Ulan Bator, Mongolia
October 15
Tim dropped his bag on his bed, frowning a little in irritation. Kon and Cissie had been... watching him. The entire flight from Ghana, the trip to the hotel, the check-in that had seemed to take hours... he really had to start making reservations.
And now, while they were all supposed to be unpacking, they were still watching. "I'm not going to run again," he said crossly. "You can stop acting like I'm a flight risk."
They looked at one another, and Cissie chewed on her lip. "We're not--we don't think you're going to run," she said.
"Then why do you keep staring at me?" He threw a pair of socks into a drawer. "It feels like it did for the week after I tried to take off on you guys. Like you're going to post a guard if I go to the bathroom or something."
"That's not--" Cissie broke off, shooting a distressed look at Kon. He put a hand on her shoulder and squeezed it, dropping to sit on the bed.
"There's something we want to talk to you about," he said, rubbing at his neck. Under his breath, he muttered, "This isn't really how we thought we'd do it, though."
"Well, it'd be nice if you'd just get on with it. All this staring is making me irritable."
They looked at one another again. Cissie opened her mouth and made a small noise, but didn't manage any words, shrugging instead. Kon blew out a breath. "Tim. We want you to be our boyfriend."
Tim blinked in surprise, then started laughing. "Yeah, okay."
"I'm serious." Kon frowned and reached for Cissie's hand. "I know it sounds weird, but I think--we think it could work."
"You..." he shook his head sharply. "Are you high? Are you both on something?"
Cissie sighed, shaking her head and frowning deeply. "No, we're not. We--we've talked about it. We both..." She trailed off, looking at Kon for support. "We're better together. All of us. You know?"
"You... talked about this." Oh, God. They felt bad for him. "Look--I'm happy for you two. Really. I'm not feeling left out."
"That's not what this is about," Kon said quickly. "This isn't a pity thing. We're not quite that stupid."
"I didn't say you were stupid," he said, frowning.
"Maybe not, but if we were suggesting this because we thought you felt left out? That would be pretty stupid," Cissie said, shaking her head. "This isn't--it's not about that."
"She's right. If it were about that, we'd just offer a threesome." Kon stopped, looking thoughtful. "Well, okay, I guess that's kind of--but it's about more than sex." Cissie smacked his shoulder with the back of her hand. "Ow! What? It is!"
Tim held up a hand to forestall any more bickering. "Look, it's not that I--" He shook his head again. This was unbelievable, and not at all what he'd been expecting when he'd confronted them. He'd expected to hear more about the assassins he'd been quietly taking down. Not... this. "I'm flattered. It wouldn't work, though, so let's just... forget it."
"Why wouldn't it work?" Kon asked, frowning. "I mean... seriously, we're practically doing it already, emotionally."
"We're friends," Tim corrected firmly. "Really good friends. Relationships... tend to go badly for me. Should I recap my most recent girlfriends?" He held up a hand to tick off fingers. "Steph, who I thought was dead, only to find that she'd faked it, and was living in Africa for over a year; Cassie... I don't even want to start with how fucked up that was; and Zoanne, who rightly thought I had too many issues to be dating anybody. Let alone two somebodies," he added, giving them a pointed look.
"Tim, if past relationships went well, they wouldn't be past relationships," Cissie pointed out seriously. "Besides, it doesn't mean--they're not a sign of how things will go in the future."
"Seriously," Kon agreed, giving him a skeptical look. "Do you want me to recount my failed past relationships too? ‘Cause I haven't had the best luck either, but it doesn't mean Cissie and I are doomed for failure, and it definitely doesn't mean the three of us would be."
"Three-way relationships are complicated," Tim argued. "I'm enough of a moron with only one other person."
Cissie huffed and started ticking off her fingers. "A--all relationships are complicated. B--you're not a moron. And when you are, we kind of know how to handle it and tell you to knock it off."
"And if it ruins our friendship?" he challenged. "I don't--I can't lose you two." They were all he had left now. If he lost them, he'd be alone again, and... He'd become used to having them with him. He didn't want to be alone anymore.
"It won't ruin anything," she said firmly. "You won't lose us. You couldn't if you tried--and, well, you have tried," she pointed out with a wry smile. She gestured between herself and Kon. "It hasn't ruined our friendship, has it?"
"She's right," Kon agreed, looking serious. "You're stuck with us, one way or another."
"And if it doesn't work out, and we break up? What then?"
"What happened when you and Cassie didn't work out?" Kon asked pointedly.
He opened his mouth to argue, but closed it again. Kon had a point. He and Cassie were still friends. Maybe even better friends, now that they weren't dating anymore.
Cissie took a step toward him, glancing at Kon briefly before speaking. "Tim... You keep coming up with excuses. But you haven't said you don't want to do this. Or that you don't care about us that way, or--or that you're not attracted to one or both of us."
"That's--that's not the problem," he said, frowning at the floor between them. "But I mean it. I don't want to mess things up."
Kon grinned. "I knew it. He thinks we're hot."
"Kon!"
"What? He does! Don't you?"
Tim rolled his eyes, shooting Cissie a grin. "I don't know. I think he's fishing for compliments."
Cissie relaxed, some of the tension leaving her shoulders. She smiled back at him. "He might be. You know how his ego works."
"I'm right here," Kon pointed out, grinning. "I'm serious though."
"Yeah, I know." Tim gave them a little smile. "And... yeah. I do."
"I knew it!" Kon crowed, pumping his fist in the air. "I'm a genius."
"Yes, Kon, you're a genius," Cissie said fondly, rolling her eyes. She took another step toward Tim, reaching for his hand. "Tim. You don't have to agree to this if you don't want to. But we're both attracted to you too, and we obviously care for you. We love you. If you feel the same way at all, then... you should think about this."
Tim hesitated a moment, then reached out and took her hand. "I'd... like to try. I just..." he blew out a sigh. "I don't want to lose either of you."
Cissie beamed and squeezed his hand. "You won't lose us. I promise." She looked back at Kon and held her free hand out for him. "Right?"
"Right." Kon stepped forward and took her hand, and Tim's free one. "Like I said. You're stuck with us." He grinned at both of them. "So... I'm kinda wondering how I kiss two people at the same time."
Tim glanced at Cissie, giving her a wry smile. "Are we sure we need him around?"
She laughed. "Well, this was his idea. It's probably only fair to keep him."
"I suppose you're right." He glanced between the two of them. "Maybe we could try taking turns. I don't think I'm advanced enough to try kissing two people at once."
Cissie shook her head, smiling. "I don't know if it's even possible to do that. I think we'd all bump heads."
"I think we're losing sight of the fact that there is supposed to be kissing happening here," Kon pointed out.
Tim laughed a little. "I guess we are."
There was another pause, and Kon rolled his eyes. "I always have to be the one to make the first move." He tugged Tim toward him and kissed him, pushing his fingers gently into his hair.
Tim stiffened at first before relaxing and returning the kiss. When they broke apart, Kon grinned, beaming. "Awesome," he said, and nudged Cissie with his elbow. He winked. "Your turn."
Cissie rolled her eyes, smiling wryly. "You are such a dork," she said, but she let go of Tim's hand to put her arm around his waist and leaned in, kissing him.
Tim laughed a little into the kiss, but slipped an arm around her, kissing her back. When they broke apart again, he gave her a little grin. "I think it's you and Kon's turn now."
Cissie giggled, returning the grin. "I think you're right," she said, turning to Kon. They kissed and smiled at each other when they pulled apart, then looked to Tim.
"Well?" Kon asked, grinning smugly. "That wasn't so bad, was it? And we're all still okay?"
Tim nodded, giving them both a small smile. "Just--if you're not--either of you--we can go back to the way it was, okay? No hard feelings."
Cissie nodded, tightening her arm around him and hugging him closer. "Deal. And--if you're not okay, you tell us."
Kon nodded. "Okay. Just--we're gonna give this a real shot, right?"
"Yeah." Tim hugged both of them back, running his fingers lightly along Cissie's spine, and resting his head on Kon's shoulder. "I think we are."
THE END
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