needed to exorcise a demon (write more transfemme tim) before i could focus. heres a first draft of the tim/bernard reunion
Because Tim is a fucking idiot and a glutton for punishment, he heads to Kelsey's for lunch. He can't even pretend that it's because Kelsey's is close to the marina or that he's just really craving one of their milkshakes. There's a shitty, pathetic part of him that's just hoping that he'll see Bernard.
It's scummy of him, like- Not enough to lie to the guy to his face, for weeks, no he's gotta show up knowing that Bernard won't recognize him and fucking- Fucking check on him.
As if Tim's got any business with him, or any fucking right.
He jerks to a stop, someone walking behind shoulder checks him with a snarled curse and he barely pays attention enough to flip them off as he steps to the side. He just- He needs to pull his shit together.
Tim Drake has no reason to act like Kelsey's is any different to the dozens of diners scattered around the city, it's not like Tim's ever been there after all. He squeezed his eyes shut, pressed the edge of his shoulder into the rough brick wall. This was a mistake.
The whole fucking point of moving to the marina was to put all this shit behind him, so why was he here, dragging it all back up again?
Go home, he thinks firmly, order something in and get back to your modifications. You shouldn't be here anyway.
Which is a great plan, until he opened his eyes and realised that he was standing at the mouth of The Alley. His instantly dry throat clicked as he tried to swallow, he could see it so clearly, Bernard holding hi- Caroline, in his arms. Pressed back into the rough brick she was still leaning against.
Fuck. He thought calmly, turning on his heel. He needed to get the fuck out of here, now.
Bernard was standing in the doorway with a pack of smokes in hand, a surprised half smile on his face. Tim's heart didn't ache at the sight of him and he didn't clock the patch of stubble Bernard had missed shaving or the way the bags under his eyes were deeper than Caroline had ever seen.
"Bernard," Caroline started to say, voice automatically going soft and Tim cleared his throat harshly. "S-Sorry, uh, Bernard, hi."
He was waving a hand casually, letting the kitchen door slam behind him as he hurried down the alley to meet Tim.
"Damn dude, it's good to see you. You look good." Bernard's eyes didn't drag over Tim's body the way they had on Caroline's and Tim tried not to feel sick at noticing the difference.
"Y-Yeah, it's great to see you. You, you work here?"
"At Kelsey's? Yeah, pays the bills." He shrugged, "You mind?" He flashed the pack at Tim and he shook his head.
"Go ahead." Tim tried not to remember the taste of them in Bernard's mouth, the way Bernard's eyes had gone dark and heated when Caroline had playfully snatched the cig from his mouth and taken a drag. He'd kissed the smoke out of her mouth, Tim couldn't help but remember, hating himself.