Chapter Text
In total it took Tim and Kon about an hour to finally be cleared to leave the cave; Alfred wanted to be thorough in checking that both the knock on the head, and the twenty story jump hadn’t given Tim a concussion. It hadn’t, thank god. The last thing Tim needed was for his brain to feel like he was swimming in soup.
Dick was back in the cave by the time Tim got out, and instead of the lecture Tim had been expecting, as soon as Dick saw him he was being swept up into a bruising hug so tight he started to see spots.
“That’s the second time you’ve jumped off a building in my company, please don’t make it a third” Dick had whispered into Tim's hair before letting him go.
After that Bruce took one look at him and decided the lecture could wait until tomorrow. Thankfully, Kon was still lingering around so he wouldn’t have to drive himself home.
The flight back to his place didn’t take any longer than five minutes, though it felt almost instant, and by the time Kon was landing on the roof, Tim hadn't thought of an efficient enough apology. Luckily they still had to walk inside, which gave Tim just a few extra minutes to think about what he wanted to say.
The short walk was tense, and as soon as they had walked through the door, Tim started to unclasp his cape, if only to have something to do with his hands.
“Listen Kon I--” Tim started but was swiftly cut off when Kon slammed the door shut so hard the frame rattled with it.
Tim had been aware that Kon was upset; he hadn’t spoken a word the whole night and his entire body was coiled up so tight he reminded Tim of a snake about to strike. Tim was also aware that this was most likely his fault which was why he had planned to apologize except he had been rudely cut off.
“Kon?” Tim asked. He turned to stare at Kon, aware that his own face was probably covered in a mix of disbelief and weariness.
“Don’t,” Kon replied tightly, his face clouded with so much anger that it felt like it should be suffocating him.
Oh, Kon wasn’t just angry, he was furious.
Immediately Tim opened his mouth again, desperate to say anything that would lessen Kon’s anger. He couldn’t stand the thought of Kon being furious with him, and a feeling of panic and agitation swept through him.
Though before Tim could even formulate a sentence, Kon started to speak.
“I don’t get you sometimes,” Kon said. His tone was low and dangerous, and Tim hated how the sound of it made Tim’s stomach swoop with desire. He pushed the feeling as far down as he could, fully aware that now was not the time.
“For someone who’s so fucking smart, you sure know how to make some really fucking stupid decisions. Tell me, are you purposefully trying to kill youself or are you incapable of focusing on anything else besides what mission you need to complete?” Kon asked, his tone still low and seething. Tim could practically hear the fury dripping off of each word.
In a flash all panic and regret that Tim had been feeling was immediately swept away. A hollow feeling in his chest replaced the sensation of guilt as Tim registered Kon’s words.
What?
Anger filled Tim so fast that it almost gave him whiplash.
Was Kon accusing Tim of being stupid? Or suicidal? He almost wasn’t sure which one pissed him off more.
Tim could admit that after Kon had died, and Bruce was lost, he wasn’t at his best. He had been hurt in a way that he wasn’t sure he would ever recover from, and that led him to make some poor decisions. If this was coming from Dick a year and half ago, maybe Tim would be able to concede that he had a point, that he was taking too many risks and not caring enough about the outcome. But then again, Tim was pretty sure that he would have torn Dick a new one for assuming he knew anything about what Tim was going though.
Tim had worked hard this past year to heal, and he was doing a damn good job too. He was finally in a place in his life, where everything didn’t feel like it was seconds away from crashing down around him. Where he didn’t feel like he had to justify his every move to someone who thought he was seconds from losing it.
Yes, tonight was a close call, closer than anything Tim would have liked, and he could admit to himself that he was still feeling pretty rattled and off-centered. Tim was sure though, that if he had been able to think of even one other way to get himself out of that building without taking a free dive out of the window, he would have taken it.
It wasn’t like he and Kon hadn't done that move before either. They did that shit all the time when Tim was still with Young Justice. Hell! They did that move even when Kon wasn’t supposed to be in Gotham. The only difference was that they hadn’t done the move since Kon came back.
So not only was Tim mad at the implication that he was being unnecessarily reckless, Tim was also confused as to what exactly Kon had expected him to do.
“What exactly are you trying to say?” Tim asked, trying hard to keep some calm to his voice. It didn't really work and instead he just sounded flat and uncaring.
This seemed to just piss Kon off more whose eyes flashed red before he squeezed them shut.
“What I’m trying to say is that you take too many damn risks, Tim! Christ, sometimes it feels like I'm just waiting for you to take one risk that goes too far. Do you know how close you were to hitting the pavement tonight? Because I don’t think it was more than four fucking feet!” Kon shouted, his eyes still screwed shut, though Tim was sure he could still see the faint red hue behind his eyelids.
“You always do this shit! It’s like I can’t look away from you for five seconds before you’re out trying to get yourself killed!”
“That’s not fair,” Tim replied. He still had yet to drop the mask of calmness from his voice, desperate to hold onto any remaining control he had left.
“Isn't it?” Kon asked, his voice instantly losing all anger and instead being replaced with a deep weariness.
“No, it isn’t actually. I can’t believe how hypocritical you’re being right now. It would almost be funny if it wasn't pissing me off so much.” The forced calmness of Tim’s voice had finally cracked and his words had more of a bite to them then he intended.
“It’s not like you’ve never taken a risk, Kon. It’s part of the job! I mean you took a risk so fucking big it got you killed!” Tim practically yelled, any control he had over his emotions slipping in that moment.
Tim regretted it as soon as he said it; he saw the way Kon’s face crumbled slightly and instantly everything in him ached to take it back.
“Now who isn’t being fair? You don’t get to use my own death against me, Tim.”
“I'm not trying to use it against you! I just--” Tim took in a ragged breath, unable to think past the burning sensation behind his eyes. He closed his eyes for a second, willing the tears to leave. Tim felt far too worked up, like he was seconds away from snapping.
This entire argument had spiraled too far out of Tim’s control. God he hated this feeling, like all the spinning plates Tim spent so much time and effort in maintaining were threatening to fall and shatter at his feet.
Tim knew logically that this argument really wasn’t about tonight, not really. Both Kon and Tim had left far too much unsaid, and this was the fallout. Tim had been afraid of reconnecting with Kon for this reason, so scared that after the damage was done Tim would lose Kon for good.
Knowing this didn’t do anything to lessen Tim’s pain. Instead Tim was helpless to the anger and hurt swelling inside him. That deep feeling of hopeless despair that had followed him around when Kon had died was pushing at the edge of his mind, reminding Tim just how far he could really fall. It all felt like too much, to look at Kon and know what Tim’s life looked like without him in it.
Didn’t Kon understand how much his death had broken him?
“I had to live. I had to live while you were gone” Tim finally said, he had no idea what he was saying, just that some part of him needed to get this out. To finally say the things he thought he would never be able to. Tim felt a desperate need for Kon to understand, for Kon to know that Tim was nothing without him.
His breathing was hard and raged, willing every part of himself to stay here in the moment. His head was still pounding from earlier tonight and he was having a hard time putting all of his thoughts back together.
“I had to live with the knowledge that you were dead. And you’re what? Mad at me for not being safe? For taking too many risks? Jesus, Kon. Don’t you think you’re a little too late to be worrying about how dangerous both our jobs are?” Tim said, unable to stop a few tears from slipping past his eyelashes.
“And the worst part? The worst part was that I wasn’t even fucking there! Even if I had been there, there was nothing I could have done to save you! I had to live with the fact that I was too fucking useless to save the man who I love!” Tim practically screamed, his chest heaving with the effort it took to have this conversation. His mind was working too fast to keep up with, filled to the brim with so much anger, pain, regret, and love that he couldn’t see past it.
Kon was staring at him now, the anger and hurt in his expression had vanished, and instead has been replaced with one filled with wery astonishment.
“What did you say?” Kon asked, voice still low but lacking the anger it had before.
“What?” Tim asked, his mind was still caught on the image of a ruined lab that carried only despair and regret in its wake.
“What did you say?” Kon repeated the tone of his voice the same but this time there was some added urgency behind it.
Tim took a second to rack his brain for what exactly Kon would be referring to, when suddenly he was hearing his own voice shout five specific words that sent chills down Tim’s spine.
‘The man who I love’ bounced around in Tim’s head like a bad game of tennis.
Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck.
What was Tim going to do? He hadn’t planned on confessing anything to Kon, but especially not when they were in the middle of fighting. Tim could still feel the last embers of anger and hurt floating around in him just waiting to catch onto whatever Kon said next.
What would happen now? Surely Kon wouldn't want anything to do with Tim, not after this whole fiasco. This entire night was a fucking mess, and now Kon was going to look at Tim with thinly vailed disgust on his face. He would apologize for not feeling the same way because it was Kon, and no matter what Kon would be kind, (even if it was when he was rejecting Tim) Before finally walking out of Tim’s apartment and never speaking to him again. A perfect shitty end to a shitty night.
Tim wanted to fix this, no he needed to fix this. He could not let Kon walk out that door without some sort of assurance that it wouldn’t be for the last time. Unfortunately though, Tim had no clue how to fix this. He couldn’t even look at Kon’s face, too scared of what expression he would see there.
“Kon I --” Tim started to say, hopeful that something genius would come to him in the next few seconds, before he was abruptly cut off by Kon stepping into his space. Kon’s hands found purchase on Tim’s hip, holding onto them with such conviction that Tim would almost believe they belonged there if he knew for a fact that they didn’t
“Did you mean what you said?” Kon asked, completely ignoring Tim’s noise of surprise at his sudden closeness. Tim’s eyes dragged from the spot of Kon’s shoulder where they had settled to Kon’s face, taking in the still intense but no longer angry expression.
From this close Tim could see the slight splatter of freckles Kon had draped across the bridge of his nose. His eyes were so blue they practically glowed, looking more alien then they did human.
Tim was apparently quiet for long enough that Kon gave a gentle squeeze to his hips to get his attention back. Kon gave Tim a look that told him he was expecting an answer and for what may have been the first time in Tim’s life, Tim couldn’t think of what to do.
He had no plan, no idea, not even a thought in his brain that could fix this situation.
“I- yes.” Tim finally blurted out, the confession having been practically ripped from his throat. Before Tim could even begin to panic about what he had just admitted to, he felt the soft press of lips against his own.
It took Tim a second to register that he was being kissed, and a second longer to register who exactly was kissing him.
The kiss itself was gentle, Kon’s lips were soft and his hands were still gently holding Tim’s hips. Tim kissed Kon back equally as softly, letting his body relax into the weight of Kon’s hands.
They stayed like that for a moment, kissing each other with such tender care. It was a mutual acknowledgement that this was a precious moment and it was more than anything Tim had ever hoped for.
Tim’s hands, which had previously been laid uselessly at his sides, eventually found their way to Kon’s biceps. He squeezed the muscle he found there unable to help himself, Kon’s strength had always been a turn on and Tim wasted no time in exploring planes and ridges of Kon’s arms.
Soon enough the soft kiss began to turn deep as Kon ran his tongue along Tim’s lower lip. Almost instinctively Tim gasped lightly at the sensation and Kon wasted no time pushing further into his mouth.
After that the Kiss grew messy and frantic, as if they were both trying to make up for all the time they had spent not kissing. Tim was all too happy to let Kon’s tongue slide against his, as his hands slid further and further down Tim’s hips.
The sensation of it all was beyond dizzying, Tim had trouble focusing on anything besides the feel of Kon’s hands on his body, and the taste of his lips.
Kon’s hands skimmed over the swell of Tim’s ass, briefly squeezing before continuing its quest further down to Tim’s thighs. Kon wrapped his hands around Tim’s thighs, before abruptly lifting him completely off the ground. Tim’s hands moved quickly to support himself on Kon’s shoulders and the change in position had him moaning slightly into Kon’s mouth.
Kon carried Tim across his apartment to the kitchen, placing Tim on top of the counter before pressing in close. Kon pressed kisses along Tim’s jaw and neck, sucking and biting at the sensitive skin he found there.
It was overwhelming, the press of Kon’s lips against Tim’s collarbones and neck. His whole body felt like it was a light with flames as Kon continued to explore the expanse of Tim’s neck, leaving little bruises as he wandered. Finally, having had enough of the teasing, Tim pulled Kon’s mouth back up to meet his own, wanting desperately to feel the way Kon’s tongue dragged sinfully across the roof of his mouth.
He tugged slightly on Kon’s hair, enjoying the groan the action elicited from the Super, the sound was so delectable that he tugged again just to hear the sound once more. It was addicting, having Kon in his arms like this, pressed against him, feeling the way Kon’s muscles moved against Tim’s body.
Kon’s mouth moved further down Tim’s body, his hands, after undoing all the catches to Tim’s armor, dragged Tim’s tunic up in order to access the skin hiding beneath. Kon kissed down Tim’s sternum, sucking slightly before drifting to the right and giving a blunk lick to Tim’s nipple.
The sensation had Tim bucking slightly, trying desperately to chase some of the friction he knew would feel good. He had to bite down on his lip hard in order to muffle the moan that threatened to spill out of him. Encouraged by Tim’s reaction, Kon sucked down on the nipple slightly before moving to the other side of Tim’s chest.
Kon lavished at Tim’s chest for a while before abruptly pulling off and moving back up to make eye contact with Tim. Tim’s tunic slowly fell back down, sticking unpleasantly to the wet spots that covered his upper torso.
“How far do you want this to go?” Kon asked, his gaze was intense and filled with lust as his hands traveled up and down Tim’s thighs. They stopped when they met the crease where thighs and hips met, his thumbs pressing in on the insides of his upper legs inches away from where Tim wanted them pressed the most. It was beyond distracting really, and Tim was at a loss for how exactly Kon expected him to function.
“I want whatever you’re willing to give me Kon.” Tim replied, both unwilling to give away how much he wanted this and too scared that Kon would pull away all together.
Kon’s eyes grew dark at Tim’s response, and Tim watched with rapt attention as Kon’s tongue darted out to wet his lip before an extremely pleased grin stretched across his face. Tim hated how it made his stomach swoop with desire.
Finally after what felt like an eternity, one of Kon’s hands moved from the tops of Tim’s thighs to slowly cup the front of his tights. Kon pressed down slightly, enough to ease some of the discomfort Tim had been feeling, but not enough to bring any real pleasure.
Tim tried to buck up into Kon’s grip, desperate to chase some of the friction his body was desperately craving, but Kon was firm, using some of his strength to keep Tim’s hips from lifting off the counter top.
Finally after what felt like years of torture but was in reality only a few moments, Kon started the process of removing Tim’s tights. He rubbed Tim over his underwear for a few fleeting seconds before tugging both Tim’s tights and boxers down together. It was a bit of a struggle and Tim wished he had thought to remove his costume before coming back from the cave, but after a few seconds of maneuvering they managed to get Tim’s pants completely off. Kon moved to help Tim remove his shirt and he only had a few seconds to feel a bit embarrassed about being the only one naked before Kon was spitting into his hand.
Tim almost felt dizzy with how fast his blood immediately rushed downwards, he already felt impossibly hard and Kon’s actions weren’t making anything easier. Kon wasted no time in wrapping his hand around Tim and giving a few experimental tugs.
Just the sensation of Kon’s large hand wrapped around Tim’s cock was enough to have Tim moaning, he’d be more embarrassed about it, if Tim could think longer than two seconds.
Soon enough Kon had found a rhythm that had Tim gasping and moaning, his own hands digging so hard into Kon’s shoulders that if the kryptonian had the ability he would be bruising in no time.
Kon’s other hand pressed into Tim’s lower back, before moving to trace gently up and down Tim’s spine as his lips traced the outline of Tim’s jaw. His touch was surprisingly gentle and Tim couldn’t help but blush at the tenderness of Kon’s fingers, the sensation of it all was bringing Tim way too close to the edge way too fast.
“Wait, wait, stop.” Tim pleaded, not wanting this to be over before it even began. Kon was quick to pull off, his eyes found Tim and he held a new kind of desperation in them that Tim had never seen before.
“You have way too many clothes on.” Tim said slightly out of breath, he was feeling unbelievably horny now that he had denied himself, and was seconds away from ripping off Kon’s clothes himself.
Luckily for Tim, he didn’t have to wait long. Kon took a single step back before he ripped his entire costume off in one fell swoop, leaving the kryptonian standing naked in Tim’s kitchen.
Sometimes life was surreal.
Tim couldn’t help the way his eyes immediately traveled south, his cheeks growing red as he noted the ridiculous size of the super. Kon’s eyes followed Tim’s and a cocky smile adorned his features, which only caused Tim’s blush to deepen.
Damn this man and his good looks. It was almost obscene how attractive Kon was, and it was made all the worse by the fact that Kon knew it.
As if to prove Tim’s point, Kon gestured to his cock before asking “You like what you see?” his voice taking on a sleazy tone as he moved his eyebrows up and down.
That was enough to bring Tim back down to earth, his blush disappeared and Tim leveled one of his cold stares at Kon. It would be a cold day in hell before he’d ever admit to Kon that he did in fact ‘like what he saw’, Kon’s ego was big enough already.
“Shut it clone boy, before I decide my dildo would be better company.” Tim remarked before he slid himself off the counter top and moved to walk into his bedroom. He didn’t turn back to make sure Kon was following him, and after a few seconds Tim heard faint footsteps trailing after him. The smile that stretched along Tim’s face was probably cockier than Kon’s.
When Tim reached the bedroom he was quick to pull out the lube and condoms that sat in the drawer of his bedside table before laying himself down just as Kon entered the room. Kon’s breath caught as he eyed Tim. He stood unmoving at the edge of Tim’s doorway just staring, his gaze was reverent, as if Tim was something to be worshiped.
The thought alone was enough to make Tim shiver. The movement apparently drew Kon’s attention and spurred him into action, because within seconds Kon was back into Tim’s space, using his hands to brace himself as he hovered over Tim.
They were quick to pick off where they had left, Kon kissing Tim was such a vicious ferocity, that Tim was half worried Kon would eat him alive. It didn’t take Kon long to pull himself up to a sitting position and reach for the lube. He pulled Tim’s hips closer so that Tim’s ass was practically sitting in Kon’s lap, and soon enough Kon was three fingers deep in Tim, pressing down on a bundle of nerves that had Tim screaming.
Feeling himself near the end for a third time, Tim used all of his willpower to avoid touching his cock as he pleaded with Kon to stop once again.
“You look so good like this Tim.” Kon said, his eyes were focused on where his fingers were pushing into Tim’s hole. The words sent something hot and delicious down Tim’s spine, his body clenching around Kon’s fingers in response.
“I'm ready Kon, please” Tim whimpered, pushing fruitlessly against Kon’s shoulders and upper torso. Kon dragged his fingers against Tim’s walls for a few more seconds, obviously reluctant before pulling out. Tim whined slightly at the loss of the fingers, feeling empty, before Kon was back, pressing his cock against the opening of Tim’s hole.
Kon was bigger than anything Tim had taken before, and the initial stretch was overwhelming enough that Tim was gasping for breath. Kon was slow and gentle, stopping every few seconds to let Tim adjust, before pressing in again. It took a while for Kon to fully press in, but Tim didn’t mind, he enjoyed the feeling of Kon stretching him. He watched Kon’s face in a dazed fascination, enjoying the expressions of pleasure he found there.
Tim couldn’t believe how much he loved this man, it filled every part of him, every waking moment was spent in awe that Tim got to have any part of Kon at all. So having Kon like this, so intimate and close, was something that Tim knew he’d never be able to survive losing.
Finally Kon’s hips were pressing against Tim’s ass, Tim felt so full that he almost couldn’t breath. It was amazing and Tim hoped that he would never again have to wonder what it felt like having Kon this close.
Kon gave Tim a few seconds to adjust, before he began to move. Kon fucked slow hard thrusts into Tim before Tim was begging him to speed up, too high strung from all the teasing earlier.
“Fuck Tim, you’re so fucking perfect.” Kon moaned, squeezing Tim’s hips hard as he pulled him back onto his cock. Tim couldn’t think past anything that wasn’t the pleasure he was feeling but attempted to moan in reply to Kon’s words.
“Are you close?” Kon asked, slowing his pace slightly, at Tim’s nod, Kon gave once last squeeze to Tim’s hips before flipping Tim around so that he was on hands and knees.
Kon pushed down on Tim’s upper back pushing Tim’s face and upper torsos into the mattress below, before beginning to fuck back into Tim at a brusing pace. Kon was fucking into him so hard that if Tim could think about anything past Kon, he’d be worried about the damage the bed was doing to the wall.
The blatant show of force was enough to push him over the edge. It only took Tim a few strokes to his cock before he was cumming into his hand, the force of it all felt so good that he couldn’t help the whining moan he attempted to muffle in his pillow.
The world went white around him as sparks of pleasure danced through every fiber of his being. Tim could barely register Kon giving a last few final thrusts before pulling out and collapsing next to him.
It took Tim a while to come down, but when he did he found himself already wrapped up in Kon’s arms, his hands stroking the same path of his spine that they were following earlier in the evening.
Tim felt satisfied in a way that he hadn’t in a very long time. The fact that just an hour ago Tim and Kon had been fighting felt like a distant memory already, too content in the feeling of Kon’s warmth to begin to dissect any of that conversation. He knew they would have to talk about it eventually, deal with the stress and the hurt in a way that wasn’t just sex. For now though, Tim was content to lay in the arms of the man he loved, and enjoy the fact that he managed to successfully confess his feelings without the entire world imploding.
It was a new feeling, the one where Tim could have something he wanted without the rest of the world around him descending into a raging dump fire of a problem.
“Hey, let me get you cleaned up before you fall asleep on me, yeah?” Kon asked, his hand stilling on Tim’s back for a moment. With a heavy sigh Tim heaved himself from his entirely too comfortable position on the bed before moving to the bathroom.
Tim watched Kon through the mirror of the bathroom, too caught up in the beauty of the man to remember that he was exhausted. Tim thought for a fleeting moment that if he wasn’t seconds away from passing out, he might ask Kon if he was ready for another round.
Kon met Tim’s eyes in the mirror, and gave him a look that told him that Kon knew exactly what he was thinking.
“Jesus Rob, aren’t you beat? I think I’m ready to sleep for at least ten hours” Kon said, and truthfully just the acknowledgement of sleep was enough to have Tim saying slightly in place, suddenly too tired to hold himself up.
Tim almost forgot that he was riding off of what was probably only three hours of sleep and an adrenaline rush from tonight's mission.
When Kon got into bed with Tim, he pulled Tim firmly against him, wrapping his arm around Tim’s stomach.
“I'm sorry Tim, for what I said earlier.” Kon whispered, his face was buried in Tim’s hair, as his hand traced the line of Tim’s stomach so lightly that it gave Tim goosebumps.
“I just can’t stand the thought of losing you Tim, I don’t know what I would do.”
Tim turned in Kon’s arms, so that they were now lying facing each other. He brought his hand up to play with Kon’s hair trying his best to memorize the lines and planes of Kon’s face.
“I never want to lose you again, I couldn’t bare it last time.” Tim muttered softly, so quiet that he wasn’t sure if Kon had even heard him.
Kon watched Tim for a while, his eyes held an emotion that Tim couldn’t understand, before he replied with a simple “I know.” and pushed himself impossible closer to Tim. The moment felt like it would stretch on for eternity, forever suspended in time as Kon watched Tim and Tim watched Kon. Eventually though, Kon closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh, a pleasant smile drifting across his lips.
It didn’t take long for Tim to drift to sleep after that, far too comfortable in Kon’s pleasant embrace.
A few hours later Tim woke to Kon attempting to unsuccessfully sneak out. The light shining through the curtains told Tim that it was at least daytime, but other than that he had no clue how long they had been sleeping or why Kon could possibly be awake right now.
“Wha’er you doin?” Tim mumbled, his words slurred with sleep.
“There’s an emergency in Metropolis, I gotta go, but I’ll be back for lunch okay?” Kon responded, leaning down to lay a kiss on Tim's forehead before moving away.
“Mkay, love you.” Tim said, before burying his head back into his pillow in an attempt to shut out some light. There was an awkward pause, where Tim couldn’t help but notice nothing was said back, before a gust of air indicated that Kon had just left.
What the hell?
Instantly any lingering tiredness was gone in an instant, and Tim was up out of bed staring disbelievingly out the window that Kon just left through.
Had he read something wrong? Tim could have sworn that they were on the same page, he didn’t think that the words ‘I love you’ meant ‘let’s keep this casual’ but now Tim was starting to worry.
Because Tim was Tim he immediately began to rethink both the events from last night and this morning. Kon saved Tim, they fought, Tim said I love you, Kon didn’t say it back, they had sex, Tim said I love you, Kon didn’t say it back, Kon left for an emergency.
Oh.
Well Tim felt like possibly the biggest idiot in the world. How had he not noticed that Kon had never said I love you back to him last night? Except Tim knew how, he was too caught up in Kon kissing him to notice anything else.
Tim began pacing desperately around his room, hoping that answers would magically appear if he walked fast enough. Unfortunately nothing did, and all Tim was left with was an increasing sense of panic. Out of desperation Tim called Steph.
“Hello?” Steph muttered, sounding a bit liked she had just woken up
“Can you come over?”
Something in Tim’s voice must have sounded urgent enough because a moment passed before Stephanie said “Give me ten minutes.” and hung up. Left to his thoughts once again, Tim immediately started pacing. There had to be a better explanation than ‘Kon used Tim for sex’ or ‘Kon hates Tim’s guts’ but unfortunately that's all Tim’s brain could come up with.
Thankfully a knock at the door pulled him out of his spiraling. When he opened the door Steph was standing there with two iced coffees, a light blue sports bra, sweatpants, and an expression that said she was ready to kick ass. It was exactly what Tim needed, and he wasted no time letting her in.
Once they are settled on the couch, it only took one questioning look from Steph for Tim to spill everything. Tim told her about the fight and the confession, how it led to sex and then the incident this morning, and then finally the horrible realization that Kon hadn’t said ‘I love you’ back twice now. By the time Tim was finished with his mini rant, he felt like the entire situation was helpless.
Steph had a thoughtful look on her face, obviously contemplating something before she responded. “Okay, first things first, if you ever need me to beat some kryptonian ass, do not hesitate to call. I’ve been dying to try some of those kryptonite rings B made us. Second of all, you need to talk to Kon.”
There was a small pause where Steph took a second to take a long sip out of her coffee while Tim stared at her in both disbelief and doubt. Talk to Kon? Tim had already talked to Kon. In fact he told Kon he loved him, and now was sitting on his couch because Kon left without saying anything back.
“Never in my entire life, would I have ever thought that I would be giving a man the benefit of the doubt, but here we are apparently.” Steph continued, giving Tim a small smile that said ‘can you believe?’ before rolling her eyes at Tim’s disbelief.
“I know that I don’t know Kon nearly as well as you do, but I do know you Tim. I know that you are an amazing, heroic, overly intelligent person who doesn’t take shit from anybody, least of all from yourself. If Kon was truly a big enough asshole to have sex with his best friend simply because it was convenient, then you never would have been friends with him in the first place.”
Tim took a second to mull this over, there was truth to what Steph was saying, he has known Kon for a long time and using someone like this would be out of character, it didn’t help explain what was happening though.
“Look, I get why you're anxious but don’t let yourself jump to conclusions. Did he say anything to you before he left?” Steph asked, she had finished her coffee and was now tipping the cup up in an effort to try and get a piece of ice to chew at.
“All he said was that there was an emergency, and that he'd be back for lunch.”
“Bingo,” Steph said, snapping her fingers and pointing at Tim. “Either Kon has way too much audacity or this isn’t some ‘one night stand with your highly vulnerable friend’ and there was probably a misunderstanding.”
Steph was right, or at least Tim was hoping she was right. If Kon had planned to come back for lunch, surely it meant that he wasn’t going to walk out of Tim’s life forever and never see him again. Or at the very least, if Kon did come back, it would give Tim a chance to find out where everything went wrong.
“Listen, let’s just wait for Kon to come back, if he doesn’t? Then I’m breaking out the ring and no one can stop me. If he does though, then you need to talk to him, Tim. Don’t let this fade into the background because you’re too scared of losing him.” Steph said, her voice gentle in a way that Tim didn’t get to hear often.
“Thanks Steph, god I don’t know what I would do without you.” Tim responded, pulling his hands over his face in an attempt to rid himself some of the anxiety clinging to his body.
“Probably descend into an anxious spiral, leaving nothing behind but a pile of distressed goo.” Steph replied brightly while shaking her cup to try and release more of the ice. She crunched loudly on a piece before checking the time.
“Listen I have to go, I have class at twelve, but I don’t want you sitting on this couch fretting while you wait for Kon. Do something to distract yourself, and if I don’t hear back from you by ten tonight, I'm assuming that Kon is the worst and that I will be murdering a kryptonian. Is that clear?” Steph asked, she had her no nonsense face on that Tim had learned the hard way meant not to mess with Steph. The memory of a brick and a very bad concussion briefly crossed Tim’s mind.
“Crystal”
“Good boy. Now I’m off to call Cass to see how fast she can make it back to Gotham just in case, and if that man does not at the very least apologize for making you worry, then nothing you can do will stop me from having my revenge.” Steph claimed her bright smile completely juxtaposed the threat and Tim was a bit worried for Kon’s overall well being, before waving to Tim and letting herself out of his apartment.
As soon as Steph left, Tim let out a weary sigh, before steeling himself for the afternoon that was to come. Tim couldn’t even begin to describe how grateful he was that he had somebody like Steph. Especially in moments like these, where he was helpless to the panic threatening to pull him under.
Tim was under no grand disillusion that everything was going to be fine. There was still the very real and terrifying possibility that Kon didn’t feel that same, that whatever happened last night was a combination of hormones and adrenaline getting the best of them. Tim didn’t even want to begin thinking about what that conversation would look like, so instead he focused on what he knew for a fact.
Kon had told Tim he was coming back for lunch, a fact that Steph reminded Tim wasn’t something a one night stand would do. Tim also knew Kon as a person, and despite whatever faults Kon may have, being cruel enough to hurt Tim like this was not one of them. So taking a deep breath and continuing to follow the advice of his amazing best friend/ex girlfriend, Tim grabbed himself a water, put something mindless on the tv and tried his best to distract his thoughts.
Luckily he didn’t have to try for very long. Within the hour the main window in Tim’s apartment (that he usually kept unlocked for the people in his life who liked using unconventional entrances)slid open and a gust of air signaled to Tim that Kon was back.
The part of Tim that was afraid Kon wouldn't show up at all instinctively relaxed, the other part of Tim that was so sure he was about to get hurt, tensed up. Before Tim even moved to stand though, Kon was quickly walking around the couch to face Tim head on.
The first thing Tim noticed was the horribly massive and gaudy purple flowers Kon was holding in one hand, and what looked like Chinese food in the second. The second thing Tim noticed was the expression of complete regret adorning Kon’s face. The entire scene was so startling that Tim was rendered completely speechless, not exactly sure what the appropriate reaction should be in the first place. He was still hurt, but the image of Kon holding flowers bigger than his head and looking vaguely like a kicked puppy, was enough to make some of the anger dissipate.
Tim wasn’t exactly sure how he wanted to start this conversation, too scared of the hurt it might bring, but luckily for him Kon was already beginning to speak.
“I am so unbelievably sorry Tim, like so fucking sorry. Last night I was caught off guard when you told me you loved me. It’s just… I was so close to… fuck!” Kon exclaimed, continuously stopping and restarting his sentence like he didn’t know what exactly he wanted to say. Kon paused for a moment, before taking a deep breath and continuing.
“It’s just that last night you had such a close call, and then you were saying those words, and I felt like if I didn’t have you right then and there I would just die. And after I had you, fuck, you were just so amazing and I was so caught up in everything that I hadn’t thought to say them back. Then this morning, I was distracted because of the emergency and when you said it I was so stunned because it’s you Tim. Jesus do you even know what you do to me? You’re just the most amazing and beautiful person alive, every day I wake up shocked that you still give me the time of day. God, and this morning the way you were laying in bed, looking like some kind of angel was just God… And you were saying you loved me again and I don’t know, I guess I just panicked and left! I was halfway to Metropolis before I could even think straight again, and by then I was too far to come back, and people were dying and it was all just-- Please Tim, I wasn’t trying to hurt you, I swear! Please forgive me?” Kon asked, he was rambling at this point and some of the flower’s petals had fallen from the force of Kon waving his hands around during his long winded speech.
Tim could care less though, he was too focused on Kon’s words, the desperate tone of voice as if he was seconds away from getting on his knees and begging Tim to forgive him was surprising to say the least. Tim felt a bit overwhelmed, if he was being honest, too caught up in the fact that Kon hadn’t thought this was all some big mistake and was never going to talk to him again.
“Kon I’m--” Tim said, cutting himself off when he wasn’t sure exactly what he was going to say next. There was a pregnant pause before Kon was suddenly cursing hard, the action so unexpected that Tim couldn’t stop himself from jumping a little in surprise
“Jesus fuck, I forgot again! Tim I am so sorry but more importantly I am so in love with you!” Kon said, taking a slightly shaky breath before continuing again. “I love you so much that it’s probably a little unhealthy. God Tim, I love you so much, that when I came back all I could think was how the worst thing I ever did was leave you in the first place. I couldn’t imagine what life would look like without me loving you, but I know that there would be no life worth living where I wasn’t completely and Irreversibly in love with you.”
Tim had often imagined what this moment would be like, never though, could he have imagined how full his heart would feel. Of course in Tim’s imagination the love confessions usually happened within minutes of each other and there was overall a lot less stress, but Tim was certain he wouldn’t change this love confession for anything.
Tim couldn’t help but look at the gigantic garish flowers and what he now realized was food from his favorite Chinese place, and feel anything but overwhelming all consuming love for this idiot of a man. Tim didn’t even try to hide the massive smile that stretched along his face, far too giddy feeling to do anything but express his overwhelming joy.
“If you ever scare me like that again Kon-El not only will you be sleeping on the couch, you will have the sole job of telling both Stephanie and my siblings that we are now dating. Is that clear?” Tim asked, fighting hard to contain his grin long enough to plaster something more serious across his face.
“Dating?” Kon squeaked, something akin to hope settling in his voice, completely ignoring the rest of Tim’s threat.
“What? Do you not want to be my boyfriend?” Tim asked, crossing his arms across his chest, the entire effect was lessened by the fact that Tim’s smile creeped back onto his face, far too happy to stay away for long.
“No! Fuck! I mean Yes! Yes of course I want to be your boyfriend Tim.”
Tim didn’t even try to suppress the giggly laugh that escaped him, instead he walked into his boyfriend’s space grabbing the back of Kon’s neck to yank him down to eye level.
“Good, now go put those hideous flowers in a vase and grab some plates, I'm starving.” Tim said before kissing Kon deeply and then pushing him towards the kitchen. Tim sent a quick ‘all good’ text to Steph before letting himself bask in the pure joy he was feeling.
Kon re entered the room with two plates of food and and two drinks hovering precariously next to him. Tim felt like his grin would be permanently glued to his face with how hard he was smiling, and his last thought before he moved to help Kon with the food, was about how he couldn’t wait for the next gala.