Tim needs a break. [Day Six]
[OOC Note: This takes place the evening Steph shows up, after Tim leaves.]
RP with cisskabob
Tim climbed up the outside of Cissie's dorm and knocked lightly on the window. He'd left Gotham and traveled here... basically as quickly as was humanly possible. He'd left a note for little Tim, but he really hadn't been able to stay there any longer. Not with... everything. He was still reeling.
It was late, but Cissie was still awake, reading in bed. She jumped a little at the knocking from her window, but only because she hadn’t expected it. There was only one reason she ever heard knocking at her third story window, and it wasn’t a tree. She threw back her covers and ran to the window, pulling it open with a wide grin. “Tim! What are you doing here?”
He smiled a little back at her, climbing in through the window to give her a hug. "I just needed to see you."
She hummed happily, putting her arms around him to hug him tightly. “You know I always want to see you. Is everything okay?”
He made a face into her hair. "Um. Things are... weird."
She held him for a little longer before pulling back to look at him. “Weirder than Jason locked in the Cave?”
He gave a short laugh. "Yeah. Weirder than that."
She frowned up at him, moving her hands to rest on his shoulders, squeezing them. “And weirder than a tiny alternate version of you showing up?”
He left his arms around her waist, running his fingertips absently over the small of her back. "Hard saying. Maybe as weird as that."
Cissie let out a low whistle, reaching up to brush her fingers through his hair. “What’s going on?”
He sighed, frowning. "Steph is alive."
She froze, her fingers coming to a stop in his hair mid-stroke. “…What?”
He tightened his arms around her. "That was kind of my reaction, too."
She kept her eyes on him for a minute, watching his face. She really didn’t know what to think. “How--what happened?”
"Apparently she was never really dead. She was in a coma for a while, and then Dr. Thompkins kept her from contacting us. She showed up at the Manor tonight." He made a frustrated noise under his breath. "She's staying there for the foreseeable future."
Cissie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and if she hadn’t already been tense, that would have done it. Her boyfriend’s ex-dead ex-girlfriend was going to be living with him. “I… Wow. Are you okay?”
"I kind of want to punch things when I think about it," he admitted, rubbing her back while he spoke.
She gave a weak laugh, smiling a little. “I don’t think I can blame you. I mean-it’s great that she’s alive…”
He nodded in agreement, giving her a wan smile in return. "It is. Of course it is. I just don't know how to cope with grieving, moving on and then... having her a few doors down the hall in my house. And that on top of everything else lately?" He grimaced painfully. "I'm not completely sure that I'm not just having a nervous breakdown."
She leaned up and kissed his cheek, putting her arms around his shoulders again, holding him close. “I-yeah. You’re having one hell of a week. I think you’re handling it pretty well, all things considered.”
He laughed wryly. "Since this is the first time I've considered that I might be having a break from reality?"
She pulled back to raise a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Tim. In the last week, your adopted father has basically kidnapped your crazy homicidal formerly dead brother and locked him in your basement, you met a tiny alternate universe version of yourself and Steph turns up, alive and well and moving in with you? Yeah. You’re doing well.”
"And Bruce keeps trying to involve me in said crazy brother's therapy, and Damian is making noises about wanting to be Robin." He sighed, shaking his head a little. "I think I need a vacation from my life."
Cissie gave him an incredulous look. “Well, that’s just crazy. Damian’s what? Ten? Even Mom knew better than to let me try anything at that age. Besides, you’re Robin.” She shook her head, frowning, and muttered, “And personally, I’d kind of prefer it if you weren’t involved in the therapy of someone who’s tried to kill you. At least until he’s, you know. Cured.”
Tim laughed quietly and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her soundly. "I knew coming to see you was a good idea." She couldn’t fix the problems, maybe, but she certainly knew how to make him laugh about them.
She kissed him back happily and leaned her forehead against his. “That’s because you’re brilliant. And I love you.”
"I love you, too," he said, touching their noses together. "And--you know Steph being back doesn't change that, right?"
She stiffened slightly and dropped her gaze to the floor, feeling herself begin to turn red. The thought had crossed her mind, though she hadn’t had much time to let herself dwell on it. “I know,” she muttered. “I just… also know you had a lot of unfinished business there. And I know how hard losing her was for you.”
"We did, and it was," he agreed. "And we'll deal with all of that when we're both ready for it." And he owed her an apology. He had been appallingly rude, but he hadn't been able to cope with her suddenly being back, after how hard it had been to get over her death. "But it doesn't change the fact that I moved on--with you."
“I know.” She looked up, giving him a sad smile. “Just-when you do deal with it… I don’t want to lose you. Not that I think I would,” she said quickly, almost babbling. “But, you know. Just saying. I’m kind of attached.”
He smiled a little in return, reaching up to brush her hair back behind her ears. "I'm pretty attached, too."
She leaned into his touch and turned her head to kiss his wrist. “That’s good news for me.”
"Mm," he agreed. "So... do you mind if I stay over?"
Cissie laughed and gave him a look. “Tim. You didn’t really ask that, did you?”
"...I think I did," he said, giving her a slightly sheepish look. "I think we've covered that I've had a long week? I'm not in my right mind."
She smiled and pulled him down for a proper kiss. “Then I think you have to stay. I refuse to let you drive all the way back to Gotham until you’re yourself again.”
"You are full of wisdom," he said solemnly. "Though--careful. You might never be rid of me."
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Maybe that’s my secret plan.”
He laughed a little. "How diabolical--but it's spoiled by the fact that I know now."
"Curses, foiled again," she said with a sigh. She leaned up and kissed him again. "But you're at least staying for tonight, so it's not a complete failure."
"Mm. True." He nodded toward her bed, where she'd left her book. "Am I interrupting?"
She glanced over and laughed a little. “Yes, thank goodness. Dickens. You’re my hero.”
He grimaced slightly. "Dare I ask?"
“Tale of Two Cities. It’s not that bad-certainly a lot better than Great Expectations, but it puts me to sleep. And I’d much rather spend time with you than read Dickens.”
"I'm flattered," he said with a small laugh. "Though I feel sorry for Mr. Dickens."
She made a light dismissive noise, pressing closer to him. “Mr. Dickens is always here. You are not. You are also, you know. Alive. And considerably more attractive.”
He laughed again, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I've missed you so much," he murmured.
“I’ve missed you too,” she said, hugging him tightly. “It sounds like Bruce is collecting strays. Maybe I should come move in too.”
"Hm. I could always ask him."
Cissie laughed. “Okay, you do that.”
"Oh, believe me, I will. Graduation's not that far away," he reminded her.
She grunted and hid her face against his shoulder. “Ugh. Don’t remind me. I might be the only person not looking forward to graduating high school.”
"It's going to be pretty weird not living here anymore, huh?" he asked, stroking her hair lightly.
“Just a little,” she admitted, sighing. “It might not be so bad if I knew I could go home after, but I’m not allowed to live with Mom. And even if I was, I don’t think I could, after everything. We do a lot better when we’re not on top of each other.”
"Having met your mom a few times... I can see how that would be true," he said with a small laugh.
“Mm, and she likes you.” She smiled and pulled back to look at him, shrugging. “I’ll figure something out. Something closer to you.”
"She does? Yeesh." He shuddered a little. "But I'd like that--you moving closer, I mean."
“Me too. I don’t get to see you nearly enough.”
“If you lived in Gotham, I could see you every day,” he pointed out, smiling. “I think I’d like that. And-we have some really excellent schools.”
Cissie groaned a little, hugging him close. “Oh, I know would like that.”
He hummed happily and kissed her hair. "Maybe think about it, then?"
She was quiet for a moment, just happy to be holding him. “Seriously?”
"Do I seriously want you to come to Gotham?" he asked, amused. "Of course I do."
She made a fist and thumped his back, smiling a little. “You know what I mean.”
"Do I want you to live with me? Yeah, I do."
She pulled back to look at him, watching his expression for a second. Cissie couldn’t help the huge grin that spread across her face, and she pulled him down for a kiss. “I love you. Can we graduate now?”
"I wish," he said, smiling back at her a little. "But I guess we'll just have to cope for now."
“I suppose,” she replied, sighing. “At least we don’t have to for very long.”
He kissed her again and started pulling her toward her bed. “Come on. I’ll lie with you while you read.”
She walked with him, smirking slightly. “I like this plan. But I might not feel like reading right now...”
“I’m perfectly happy to not-read with you, too.”
“Mm, good. I think some quality not-reading time is just what we need.”
He sat down on the bed and tugged her down with him. “I like the way you think.”
She pushed him back and leaned in to kiss him. “I thought you might. I’m sorry things are so rough at home right now, but I’m really glad you came.”
“Me too.” He smiled up at her. “You always make me feel better.”
“I’m glad. I try. I love you, you know.”
"I know. I love you, too."
RP with cisskabob
Tim climbed up the outside of Cissie's dorm and knocked lightly on the window. He'd left Gotham and traveled here... basically as quickly as was humanly possible. He'd left a note for little Tim, but he really hadn't been able to stay there any longer. Not with... everything. He was still reeling.
It was late, but Cissie was still awake, reading in bed. She jumped a little at the knocking from her window, but only because she hadn’t expected it. There was only one reason she ever heard knocking at her third story window, and it wasn’t a tree. She threw back her covers and ran to the window, pulling it open with a wide grin. “Tim! What are you doing here?”
He smiled a little back at her, climbing in through the window to give her a hug. "I just needed to see you."
She hummed happily, putting her arms around him to hug him tightly. “You know I always want to see you. Is everything okay?”
He made a face into her hair. "Um. Things are... weird."
She held him for a little longer before pulling back to look at him. “Weirder than Jason locked in the Cave?”
He gave a short laugh. "Yeah. Weirder than that."
She frowned up at him, moving her hands to rest on his shoulders, squeezing them. “And weirder than a tiny alternate version of you showing up?”
He left his arms around her waist, running his fingertips absently over the small of her back. "Hard saying. Maybe as weird as that."
Cissie let out a low whistle, reaching up to brush her fingers through his hair. “What’s going on?”
He sighed, frowning. "Steph is alive."
She froze, her fingers coming to a stop in his hair mid-stroke. “…What?”
He tightened his arms around her. "That was kind of my reaction, too."
She kept her eyes on him for a minute, watching his face. She really didn’t know what to think. “How--what happened?”
"Apparently she was never really dead. She was in a coma for a while, and then Dr. Thompkins kept her from contacting us. She showed up at the Manor tonight." He made a frustrated noise under his breath. "She's staying there for the foreseeable future."
Cissie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise, and if she hadn’t already been tense, that would have done it. Her boyfriend’s ex-dead ex-girlfriend was going to be living with him. “I… Wow. Are you okay?”
"I kind of want to punch things when I think about it," he admitted, rubbing her back while he spoke.
She gave a weak laugh, smiling a little. “I don’t think I can blame you. I mean-it’s great that she’s alive…”
He nodded in agreement, giving her a wan smile in return. "It is. Of course it is. I just don't know how to cope with grieving, moving on and then... having her a few doors down the hall in my house. And that on top of everything else lately?" He grimaced painfully. "I'm not completely sure that I'm not just having a nervous breakdown."
She leaned up and kissed his cheek, putting her arms around his shoulders again, holding him close. “I-yeah. You’re having one hell of a week. I think you’re handling it pretty well, all things considered.”
He laughed wryly. "Since this is the first time I've considered that I might be having a break from reality?"
She pulled back to raise a skeptical eyebrow at him. “Tim. In the last week, your adopted father has basically kidnapped your crazy homicidal formerly dead brother and locked him in your basement, you met a tiny alternate universe version of yourself and Steph turns up, alive and well and moving in with you? Yeah. You’re doing well.”
"And Bruce keeps trying to involve me in said crazy brother's therapy, and Damian is making noises about wanting to be Robin." He sighed, shaking his head a little. "I think I need a vacation from my life."
Cissie gave him an incredulous look. “Well, that’s just crazy. Damian’s what? Ten? Even Mom knew better than to let me try anything at that age. Besides, you’re Robin.” She shook her head, frowning, and muttered, “And personally, I’d kind of prefer it if you weren’t involved in the therapy of someone who’s tried to kill you. At least until he’s, you know. Cured.”
Tim laughed quietly and pulled her into a tight hug, kissing her soundly. "I knew coming to see you was a good idea." She couldn’t fix the problems, maybe, but she certainly knew how to make him laugh about them.
She kissed him back happily and leaned her forehead against his. “That’s because you’re brilliant. And I love you.”
"I love you, too," he said, touching their noses together. "And--you know Steph being back doesn't change that, right?"
She stiffened slightly and dropped her gaze to the floor, feeling herself begin to turn red. The thought had crossed her mind, though she hadn’t had much time to let herself dwell on it. “I know,” she muttered. “I just… also know you had a lot of unfinished business there. And I know how hard losing her was for you.”
"We did, and it was," he agreed. "And we'll deal with all of that when we're both ready for it." And he owed her an apology. He had been appallingly rude, but he hadn't been able to cope with her suddenly being back, after how hard it had been to get over her death. "But it doesn't change the fact that I moved on--with you."
“I know.” She looked up, giving him a sad smile. “Just-when you do deal with it… I don’t want to lose you. Not that I think I would,” she said quickly, almost babbling. “But, you know. Just saying. I’m kind of attached.”
He smiled a little in return, reaching up to brush her hair back behind her ears. "I'm pretty attached, too."
She leaned into his touch and turned her head to kiss his wrist. “That’s good news for me.”
"Mm," he agreed. "So... do you mind if I stay over?"
Cissie laughed and gave him a look. “Tim. You didn’t really ask that, did you?”
"...I think I did," he said, giving her a slightly sheepish look. "I think we've covered that I've had a long week? I'm not in my right mind."
She smiled and pulled him down for a proper kiss. “Then I think you have to stay. I refuse to let you drive all the way back to Gotham until you’re yourself again.”
"You are full of wisdom," he said solemnly. "Though--careful. You might never be rid of me."
She raised an eyebrow at him. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. Maybe that’s my secret plan.”
He laughed a little. "How diabolical--but it's spoiled by the fact that I know now."
"Curses, foiled again," she said with a sigh. She leaned up and kissed him again. "But you're at least staying for tonight, so it's not a complete failure."
"Mm. True." He nodded toward her bed, where she'd left her book. "Am I interrupting?"
She glanced over and laughed a little. “Yes, thank goodness. Dickens. You’re my hero.”
He grimaced slightly. "Dare I ask?"
“Tale of Two Cities. It’s not that bad-certainly a lot better than Great Expectations, but it puts me to sleep. And I’d much rather spend time with you than read Dickens.”
"I'm flattered," he said with a small laugh. "Though I feel sorry for Mr. Dickens."
She made a light dismissive noise, pressing closer to him. “Mr. Dickens is always here. You are not. You are also, you know. Alive. And considerably more attractive.”
He laughed again, and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I've missed you so much," he murmured.
“I’ve missed you too,” she said, hugging him tightly. “It sounds like Bruce is collecting strays. Maybe I should come move in too.”
"Hm. I could always ask him."
Cissie laughed. “Okay, you do that.”
"Oh, believe me, I will. Graduation's not that far away," he reminded her.
She grunted and hid her face against his shoulder. “Ugh. Don’t remind me. I might be the only person not looking forward to graduating high school.”
"It's going to be pretty weird not living here anymore, huh?" he asked, stroking her hair lightly.
“Just a little,” she admitted, sighing. “It might not be so bad if I knew I could go home after, but I’m not allowed to live with Mom. And even if I was, I don’t think I could, after everything. We do a lot better when we’re not on top of each other.”
"Having met your mom a few times... I can see how that would be true," he said with a small laugh.
“Mm, and she likes you.” She smiled and pulled back to look at him, shrugging. “I’ll figure something out. Something closer to you.”
"She does? Yeesh." He shuddered a little. "But I'd like that--you moving closer, I mean."
“Me too. I don’t get to see you nearly enough.”
“If you lived in Gotham, I could see you every day,” he pointed out, smiling. “I think I’d like that. And-we have some really excellent schools.”
Cissie groaned a little, hugging him close. “Oh, I know would like that.”
He hummed happily and kissed her hair. "Maybe think about it, then?"
She was quiet for a moment, just happy to be holding him. “Seriously?”
"Do I seriously want you to come to Gotham?" he asked, amused. "Of course I do."
She made a fist and thumped his back, smiling a little. “You know what I mean.”
"Do I want you to live with me? Yeah, I do."
She pulled back to look at him, watching his expression for a second. Cissie couldn’t help the huge grin that spread across her face, and she pulled him down for a kiss. “I love you. Can we graduate now?”
"I wish," he said, smiling back at her a little. "But I guess we'll just have to cope for now."
“I suppose,” she replied, sighing. “At least we don’t have to for very long.”
He kissed her again and started pulling her toward her bed. “Come on. I’ll lie with you while you read.”
She walked with him, smirking slightly. “I like this plan. But I might not feel like reading right now...”
“I’m perfectly happy to not-read with you, too.”
“Mm, good. I think some quality not-reading time is just what we need.”
He sat down on the bed and tugged her down with him. “I like the way you think.”
She pushed him back and leaned in to kiss him. “I thought you might. I’m sorry things are so rough at home right now, but I’m really glad you came.”
“Me too.” He smiled up at her. “You always make me feel better.”
“I’m glad. I try. I love you, you know.”
"I know. I love you, too."