Need, Take, Need
[A/N: This takes place after all the rest of the stories in this series, which I have archived here for my own convenience. All characters except belovedmia used with permission, but all with love, and with the understanding that roleplay may affect the timeline of this story.]
Prompt: Take
Bart doesn't want Tim to be alone, but Tim is never really alone. There's a constant rotation of people in and out of Cassie's room. The four of them, Tim, Cissie, Bart, and Kon, are there almost every moment, and everyone else comes and goes as they can.
Saturday night, he holds Cissie as she cries against his chest. She falls asleep that way, and he carries her back into Cassie's room so they can both be with their friend. He dozes in an oversized chair that Kon brought in. Cissie stays in his arms all night.
Monday morning, Bart calls into the Academy to tell them his sister is in the hospital and he has to stay with her. Indefinitely. And just like that, Bart's path to the police force closes for now. He goes back into Cassie's room and sits across from Tim and holds her hand, and he doesn't regret his decision for a moment. Mia comes by a few minutes later and gives him a worried look. He gives her time alone with Cassie, and doesn't ask to talk to her before she leaves later that day. He's starting to learn there's a time and place for things like that, and this isn't it.
On Tuesday, he takes Cissie home. The room is full of visitors, and Kon is sitting next to Tim. Bart watches them as they lean against each other and feels happy, and then Cissie slides her hand into his and leans against him, and he knows she's seeing the same thing he is. Mending. He wants Cassie to wake up and see it, too.
Cissie squeezes his hand to get his attention. "You need to shower. Come on, now's the best time. Everyone's here. He has Kon." She smiles. "They have Kon. Come on, Mr. Allen."
He nods and goes to tell Tim, but when he gets close to the bed he realizes Tim is sleeping, resting lightly against Kon's arm. Bart swallows past a lump in his throat and picks Cissie up. She puts on the goggles he made Diana bring them, and he runs them home.
After his shower he finds her in bed, and suddenly he wants nothing more than to prove to her how alive he really is. "Bart," she whispers, and the way she says it makes him know he's going too fast. Before he'd realized, he'd taken off her clothes and was on top of her in the bed.
He blushes and slows down, kissing her gently. "I'm sorry." He'll always slow down for her, and he rests his forehead against hers and hopes she knows.
"I know," she says, and runs her hands through his hair. "We're tired, we're strung out. It's okay, Bart, it's okay"
She tells him it's okay a few more times and he kisses her again to get her to stop. "I need you," he whispers against her lips. "Please."
Cissie nods. "I love you, Bart. I need you, too. Just... slowly. Okay?"
"Okay."
They take all afternoon.
When they get back to the hospital in the early evening, it's just Tim, Kon, and Mrs. Sandsmark. Bart and Cissie walk back in and retake their places. No one says anything, but Tim turns and looks at them and manages a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes. Bart smiles back.
Kon walks over to their chair. "I called the bakery. Wanda said you weren't there."
Cissie gives him a look. "No. But we had our communicators if you needed us."
Kon shrugs. "I know I don't get stuff as much as everyone else, but I think you guys needed each other more than we needed you today. Right?"
Bart smiles. "I love you, dude."
"Non-sex way, still, right?" Kon smiles a little.
"Right."
With a soft laugh, Kon walks back over and sits next to Tim by Cassie's bedside. Cissie kisses Bart on the cheek and goes to sit next to Mrs. Sandsmark on the other side of the bed.
Bart watches them all quietly for the rest of the night.
Prompt: Take
Bart doesn't want Tim to be alone, but Tim is never really alone. There's a constant rotation of people in and out of Cassie's room. The four of them, Tim, Cissie, Bart, and Kon, are there almost every moment, and everyone else comes and goes as they can.
Saturday night, he holds Cissie as she cries against his chest. She falls asleep that way, and he carries her back into Cassie's room so they can both be with their friend. He dozes in an oversized chair that Kon brought in. Cissie stays in his arms all night.
Monday morning, Bart calls into the Academy to tell them his sister is in the hospital and he has to stay with her. Indefinitely. And just like that, Bart's path to the police force closes for now. He goes back into Cassie's room and sits across from Tim and holds her hand, and he doesn't regret his decision for a moment. Mia comes by a few minutes later and gives him a worried look. He gives her time alone with Cassie, and doesn't ask to talk to her before she leaves later that day. He's starting to learn there's a time and place for things like that, and this isn't it.
On Tuesday, he takes Cissie home. The room is full of visitors, and Kon is sitting next to Tim. Bart watches them as they lean against each other and feels happy, and then Cissie slides her hand into his and leans against him, and he knows she's seeing the same thing he is. Mending. He wants Cassie to wake up and see it, too.
Cissie squeezes his hand to get his attention. "You need to shower. Come on, now's the best time. Everyone's here. He has Kon." She smiles. "They have Kon. Come on, Mr. Allen."
He nods and goes to tell Tim, but when he gets close to the bed he realizes Tim is sleeping, resting lightly against Kon's arm. Bart swallows past a lump in his throat and picks Cissie up. She puts on the goggles he made Diana bring them, and he runs them home.
After his shower he finds her in bed, and suddenly he wants nothing more than to prove to her how alive he really is. "Bart," she whispers, and the way she says it makes him know he's going too fast. Before he'd realized, he'd taken off her clothes and was on top of her in the bed.
He blushes and slows down, kissing her gently. "I'm sorry." He'll always slow down for her, and he rests his forehead against hers and hopes she knows.
"I know," she says, and runs her hands through his hair. "We're tired, we're strung out. It's okay, Bart, it's okay"
She tells him it's okay a few more times and he kisses her again to get her to stop. "I need you," he whispers against her lips. "Please."
Cissie nods. "I love you, Bart. I need you, too. Just... slowly. Okay?"
"Okay."
They take all afternoon.
When they get back to the hospital in the early evening, it's just Tim, Kon, and Mrs. Sandsmark. Bart and Cissie walk back in and retake their places. No one says anything, but Tim turns and looks at them and manages a small smile that doesn't reach his eyes. Bart smiles back.
Kon walks over to their chair. "I called the bakery. Wanda said you weren't there."
Cissie gives him a look. "No. But we had our communicators if you needed us."
Kon shrugs. "I know I don't get stuff as much as everyone else, but I think you guys needed each other more than we needed you today. Right?"
Bart smiles. "I love you, dude."
"Non-sex way, still, right?" Kon smiles a little.
"Right."
With a soft laugh, Kon walks back over and sits next to Tim by Cassie's bedside. Cissie kisses Bart on the cheek and goes to sit next to Mrs. Sandsmark on the other side of the bed.
Bart watches them all quietly for the rest of the night.