Chapter Text
“You really don’t have to.”
“Well, then it’s a good thing I really do want to. And you’re paying me back by sharing your food, we’re both winning here!”
Tim’s sigh gets interrupted by another cough fit, destroying whatever retort he was going to rasp out next. Kon has enough self-preservation to not laugh at his best friend (barely), instead focusing back on the pot of soup he’s reheating for them to eat lest he ruins the only food in Tim’s fridge.
To say Tim almost gave him a heart attack would be the understatement of the year. After the Justice League finally bringing Bruce back thanks to Red Robin’s hard work, and most of them, plus Nightwing, attempting to apologize with various degrees of sincerity and barely receiving any acknowledgment (and no forgiveness), RR had gone almost no contact with the rest of the cape community, mostly working alone and disappearing into the shadows like any good bat when others tried to speak with him, only teaming up in absolute emergencies (and that one time when him and Red Hood blew up an allegedly empty warehouse and refused to explain).
Kon knew better than to go harass his angry friend and had stuck with listening to his heartbeat every now and then and sending memes and checkup texts that were only occasionally answered in short responses and/or emojis.
But this morning, Tim’s heart started sounding weird, not scarily so but enough for Kon to get worried. He decided to risk Rob’s wrath and called him. “It’s just a cold, if you’re that worried can you bring me some antibiotics?” it’s what Tim said, but once Kon arrived and Tim admitted he’d lost his spleen (“I didn’t lose it, I know who has it”) he decided to take care of his leader for a little bit, despite the protests, to make sure he doesn’t die from a cold of all things (Red Robin’s long list of enemies would be pissed to know nature beat them to the punch).
Looks good enough. The container has Alfred’s name on it so you’d need to be a special type of bad at cooking Ma would never let him be to ruin the soup. He plates two bowls and carefully floats to the couch where Tim is sulking at, not that hard thanks to the tiny apartment they are staying (hiding) in.
Kon hands his sick friend a bowl before sitting down, and Tim sniffs it now that the food’s close enough for his congested nose.
“…That soup’s supposed to be eaten cold, Kon.” Ma can never know about this.
“Cold soup is for people with spleens, Tim.” He fears for a moment it might have been too soon but Tim’s huff of laughter reassures him.
They eat in silence, trying to ignore the weird flavor, and watching a true crime documentary of a murder Tim solved in his first year as Robin. Kon kept glancing at him, but if the case was bringing back any memories, it wasn’t showing on his face. Not that that meant a lot with the bats. He once again cursed the day Bruce taught his best friend how to hide his emotions.
He waits for both of them to finish their food before addressing the elephant in the room.
“So Bruce is back.” He expects the other boy’s glare.
“He is.”
“And him and Alfred have medical training. I don’t.”
“I didn’t ask you to stay and I have more than enough kryptonite if you try to take me to the Bat-cave.” Defensive much?
“I wasn’t saying that… do you actually have kryptonite here?” Tim’s shrug is not calming in the slightest.
“Dick, Damian and Alfred have clearly shown they don’t want me there, Steph is still sore about our breakup, Cass is in Hon Kong, and I don’t trust Jason as far as i can throw him” Kon waits in silence for a few seconds longer, noticing he’s missing one person. “I’m emancipated and I’m not Robin anymore. Bruce doesn’t need me anymore. The family doesn’t need me anymore.” Kon knows for Tim ‘not needing him’ translates to ‘not wanting him’, whether it’s true or not.
Kon doesn’t really know how to answer that. He stopped trying to understand the bat’s family dynamics a while ago. He just sticks with siding with his Robin on anything and everything, he’s usually right anyway. He rests his head on his friend shoulder, which is answered positively by Tim halfheartedly petting his hair like a dog.
“Well, I have in on good account YJ still wants you. As long as you get rid of that ugly cowl.”
That actually makes Tim laugh, but it’s quickly stopped by more coughs. “Fair enough. Don’t get so close, you’re going to catch something”
“I’m half Kryptonian, I can’t catch your yucky earth bugs. I’m too hot.”
“You mean your body runs too hot, idiot, and you’re still half human, just because it hasn’t happened doesn’t mean it can’t.” Ignoring his own words as he says them, Tim wraps his blanket around him and Kon. Kon doesn’t make a SuperRobin burrito joke only out of fear of ruining the moment.
They keep watching TV in silence, and Kon’s mind begins to wander. If one of us was a girl, we’d totally look like a couple right now. Not that there aren’t already a lot of people who think they’re together, or at least want them to be. He’s never really minded it, that’s just what happens when you’re public figures and best friends. He suddenly huffs out a laugh when he remembers the time Tim and him found out some of the capes had made a betting pool on whether or not they were secretly together. Tim had complained to him for the entire day when he found out Spoiler had $20 on them being secretly married. He’d only sulked harder when he realized Kon had been trying to hold back laughter that entire time, and pretended to be his boyfriend in front of the capes who’d joined the betting pool for the next few days.
Realizing Tim hasn’t questioned him on the random laugh, he turns to look at him. He’s fallen asleep, his eyes closed and his rattling breaths deep and slow. A part of Kon points out how close their faces are to each other but he doesn’t move away, not wanting to wake him up. Of course I don’t mind people thinking I’m with you. You’re smart, and a good leader, and somehow funny and scary simultaneously, and too loyal to your friends and family, and somehow not realize how great you are.
He carefully moves a strand of hair away from the other’s face, his eyes going over and over again over his features. His coal black hair complimenting his pale skin, almost paper white now thanks to his cold, except for his eye bags and his nose that’s turned pink from blowing it. Others have said his blue eyes are scary, but Kon always thought the light blue mixed with entire combo made him look almost otherworldly in a good way. And you’re handsome. If you were a girl I bet you’d be constantly swarmed by modeling agencies and love letters. Kon can’t truthfully say he wouldn’t be contributing to the second bunch. Really, if you were a girl I probably wouldn’t have looked at Cassie twice, you could have saved me a breakup. But I doubt you would have accepted me anyway, right? You’re attentive enough to know I would’ve fucked up the relationship back then. He ignores the other, quieter voice in his head asking ‘and now?’ Steph would disagree, but i bet you’d be an awesome boyfriend. We’d just work better together, y’know?
He hadn’t noticed his eyelids have been growing heavier until he can’t keep them open anymore. He doesn’t hear himself whispering instead of thinking as sleep overtakes him
“Damn it, now I kinda wish you would have been a girl”