Fic: Under His Wing; Tim/Bernard; PG-13
Title: Under His Wing
Author: Aravis Tarkheena
Pairing: Bernard/Tim; past Steph/Tim
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None, really
Disclaimer: Not mine, hell this isn't even my fic idea.
Word Count: 1100 ish
Author’s Notes: Because I am CLEARLY incapable of not playing with other people’s toys, I felt compelled to write sequel to shananagin’s Spoiled, which happens to be a sequel to amarin_rose’s Deconstructing the Mystery. I didn’t even ask them if I could. I’m TERRIBLE.
Under His Wing
Tim couldn’t decide which was worse. Thinking about training a new Spoiler, or thinking about that kiss. Both were pretty bad. Both made him want to tear his hair out in frustration. Both could lead to potentially traumatic ends to his relationship with Bernard.
Bernard had been one of the few people in his life that hadn’t allowed Tim to slip through their fingers. When Tim left, Bernard found him. When Tim pushed Bernard away, Bernard came at him from behind. When Tim grieved in secret, Bernard comforted him in secret.
It should have come as no surprise to Tim that, when Bernard found out what exactly it was that occupied Tim’s time, he’d want in. If for nothing more than to have a better understanding of who and what Tim was.
He knew Bernard watched him. He knew Bernard wanted him. Tim was trained by the World’s Greatest Detective after all. What Tim didn’t know was what to do with that devotion.
He understood it, Lord knows he understood it. He had become Robin for similar reasons. He remembered clearly his hopeless attraction to Dick, an attraction that lead him to seek Dick out, to find him and understand him and be with him. It was for Dick that Tim became Robin, not for Batman. While it was true that Batman needed a Robin, Tim was far more concerned about Nightwing needing a Batman.
Tim knew that Bernard was doing this for Tim, for Robin, not for some overriding sense of justice or social good. Bernard wasn’t wearing that uniform for Steph, he was wearing it for Tim and while he may want to honor her with it, it wasn’t just for honor that he was wearing the uniform.
He was using it as an in. Good strategy, but then Bernard had always been smart. He knew Tim would react emotionally towards Steph’s uniform, had been quick, far too quick, to vehemently reassure Tim that his intentions were honorable. He’d used Tim’s vulnerabilities.
Tim knew the emotional manipulation, while conscious, was well intended. He tried not to resent Bernard for it. Tim didn’t like people trying to mess with his head, but Bernard seemed to have a particular talent for it. It was disconcerting, and Tim could be nothing but relieved that Bernard was infatuated with him.
At the same time, some Robin part of his brain was telling him that skill would come in handy during hostage situations, or getting information out of snitches and street punks. There were many ways Bernard could be an asset.
There were also many ways that Bernard could be horribly killed. Flashes of broken bodies and bloody blonde hair shot through Tim’s mind. Images he would never forget.
Batman hadn’t let Tim see Steph, not when she was dying and not after she was dead. He never told Tim why, and Tim knew Batman was trying to protect him. But Tim couldn’t stand not knowing.
One of the biggest regrets of Tim’s young life was hacking into the Coroner’s data base and downloading the autopsy photos.
He didn’t even recognize the face of the girl lying on the table. He’d kissed that mouth, held that hand, ran his fingers through that hair and when he saw those photos he couldn’t reconcile any of that with the woman on the table.
The thought of Bernard becoming just another lifeless mass of dead flesh laid out on cold metal sent a chill through Tim.
But as much as it all scared him, one thought kept running though Tim’s mind.
Just as Tim wasn’t Jason; Bernard wasn’t Steph.
Bernard, for all his engaging personality quirks, was not reckless. He was not thoughtless, he was not even overeager.
He was calm, considerate, and thoughtful. He spent time thinking about what to say and do before he said or did it.
Bernard would listen when Tim told him something. Bernard had a sense of caution. Bernard knew his limits.
Bernard was ultimately teachable.
Robin thought about working with Bernard, training him, sharing with him, teaching him how to survive and fight to protect people and something warm flooded through his chest.
It had been a long time since Robin had done anything but fly solo. Sure he worked with Batman, but the resentment for what happened to Steph was still there and their relationship had suffered for it. Nightwing was never around these days and with Kon, Bart and Steph gone, Robin hadn’t really felt a strong kinship for anyone in a long time.
He felt a kinship with Bernard.
Bernard was just like him.
Bernard would be as good as him.
Tim hardened his resolve and picked up his phone. If Batman could have a Robin, then Robin could have a Spoiler.
Tim wouldn’t let Bernard out on the streets again until he saw everything Bernard had to offer and improved on it. He kept it from Batman, he would find out soon enough, but Bernard didn’t need that kind of pressure or discouragement right now.
They trained long hours every day and Robin watched Bernard.
He watched Bernard kick and punch and throw. He watched Bernard think and reason and plot. He watched Bernard sweat and bleed and cry.
He watched Bernard become Spoiler.
On their first night out together, Robin handed Spoiler a grapple. Robin shot his grapple and swung down to a nearby rooftop, waiting wordless for Spoiler to follow. Not watching, not instructing, just trusting.
Spoiler flew through the air in a graceful arc, hands and body shifting just as Robin had instructed. He landed with ease on the ground next to his mentor.
“How did it look?” Spoiler asked, grinning widely underneath his mask.
“It looked beautiful.” Robin said, and pulled the mask up over Spoiler’s mouth. He kissed Spoiler then, long and soft and deep. He kissed this Spoiler like he had never kissed Steph, with infinite care and no hint of adrenaline induced recklessness.
He kissed Spoiler like he would continue to train Spoiler; perfectly, cautiously, intensely and thoroughly.
This Spoiler would not suffer what the last one had. This Spoiler would not be taken advantage off. This Spoiler would not be used and discarded. This Spoiler would not die.
And Robin would never be alone again.
Author: Aravis Tarkheena
Pairing: Bernard/Tim; past Steph/Tim
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None, really
Disclaimer: Not mine, hell this isn't even my fic idea.
Word Count: 1100 ish
Author’s Notes: Because I am CLEARLY incapable of not playing with other people’s toys, I felt compelled to write sequel to shananagin’s Spoiled, which happens to be a sequel to amarin_rose’s Deconstructing the Mystery. I didn’t even ask them if I could. I’m TERRIBLE.
Under His Wing
Tim couldn’t decide which was worse. Thinking about training a new Spoiler, or thinking about that kiss. Both were pretty bad. Both made him want to tear his hair out in frustration. Both could lead to potentially traumatic ends to his relationship with Bernard.
Bernard had been one of the few people in his life that hadn’t allowed Tim to slip through their fingers. When Tim left, Bernard found him. When Tim pushed Bernard away, Bernard came at him from behind. When Tim grieved in secret, Bernard comforted him in secret.
It should have come as no surprise to Tim that, when Bernard found out what exactly it was that occupied Tim’s time, he’d want in. If for nothing more than to have a better understanding of who and what Tim was.
He knew Bernard watched him. He knew Bernard wanted him. Tim was trained by the World’s Greatest Detective after all. What Tim didn’t know was what to do with that devotion.
He understood it, Lord knows he understood it. He had become Robin for similar reasons. He remembered clearly his hopeless attraction to Dick, an attraction that lead him to seek Dick out, to find him and understand him and be with him. It was for Dick that Tim became Robin, not for Batman. While it was true that Batman needed a Robin, Tim was far more concerned about Nightwing needing a Batman.
Tim knew that Bernard was doing this for Tim, for Robin, not for some overriding sense of justice or social good. Bernard wasn’t wearing that uniform for Steph, he was wearing it for Tim and while he may want to honor her with it, it wasn’t just for honor that he was wearing the uniform.
He was using it as an in. Good strategy, but then Bernard had always been smart. He knew Tim would react emotionally towards Steph’s uniform, had been quick, far too quick, to vehemently reassure Tim that his intentions were honorable. He’d used Tim’s vulnerabilities.
Tim knew the emotional manipulation, while conscious, was well intended. He tried not to resent Bernard for it. Tim didn’t like people trying to mess with his head, but Bernard seemed to have a particular talent for it. It was disconcerting, and Tim could be nothing but relieved that Bernard was infatuated with him.
At the same time, some Robin part of his brain was telling him that skill would come in handy during hostage situations, or getting information out of snitches and street punks. There were many ways Bernard could be an asset.
There were also many ways that Bernard could be horribly killed. Flashes of broken bodies and bloody blonde hair shot through Tim’s mind. Images he would never forget.
Batman hadn’t let Tim see Steph, not when she was dying and not after she was dead. He never told Tim why, and Tim knew Batman was trying to protect him. But Tim couldn’t stand not knowing.
One of the biggest regrets of Tim’s young life was hacking into the Coroner’s data base and downloading the autopsy photos.
He didn’t even recognize the face of the girl lying on the table. He’d kissed that mouth, held that hand, ran his fingers through that hair and when he saw those photos he couldn’t reconcile any of that with the woman on the table.
The thought of Bernard becoming just another lifeless mass of dead flesh laid out on cold metal sent a chill through Tim.
But as much as it all scared him, one thought kept running though Tim’s mind.
Just as Tim wasn’t Jason; Bernard wasn’t Steph.
Bernard, for all his engaging personality quirks, was not reckless. He was not thoughtless, he was not even overeager.
He was calm, considerate, and thoughtful. He spent time thinking about what to say and do before he said or did it.
Bernard would listen when Tim told him something. Bernard had a sense of caution. Bernard knew his limits.
Bernard was ultimately teachable.
Robin thought about working with Bernard, training him, sharing with him, teaching him how to survive and fight to protect people and something warm flooded through his chest.
It had been a long time since Robin had done anything but fly solo. Sure he worked with Batman, but the resentment for what happened to Steph was still there and their relationship had suffered for it. Nightwing was never around these days and with Kon, Bart and Steph gone, Robin hadn’t really felt a strong kinship for anyone in a long time.
He felt a kinship with Bernard.
Bernard was just like him.
Bernard would be as good as him.
Tim hardened his resolve and picked up his phone. If Batman could have a Robin, then Robin could have a Spoiler.
Tim wouldn’t let Bernard out on the streets again until he saw everything Bernard had to offer and improved on it. He kept it from Batman, he would find out soon enough, but Bernard didn’t need that kind of pressure or discouragement right now.
They trained long hours every day and Robin watched Bernard.
He watched Bernard kick and punch and throw. He watched Bernard think and reason and plot. He watched Bernard sweat and bleed and cry.
He watched Bernard become Spoiler.
On their first night out together, Robin handed Spoiler a grapple. Robin shot his grapple and swung down to a nearby rooftop, waiting wordless for Spoiler to follow. Not watching, not instructing, just trusting.
Spoiler flew through the air in a graceful arc, hands and body shifting just as Robin had instructed. He landed with ease on the ground next to his mentor.
“How did it look?” Spoiler asked, grinning widely underneath his mask.
“It looked beautiful.” Robin said, and pulled the mask up over Spoiler’s mouth. He kissed Spoiler then, long and soft and deep. He kissed this Spoiler like he had never kissed Steph, with infinite care and no hint of adrenaline induced recklessness.
He kissed Spoiler like he would continue to train Spoiler; perfectly, cautiously, intensely and thoroughly.
This Spoiler would not suffer what the last one had. This Spoiler would not be taken advantage off. This Spoiler would not be used and discarded. This Spoiler would not die.
And Robin would never be alone again.