How do you think Tim, Kon, and Cassie opened up to being in a poly relationship? Did they have difficulty expressing love equally or did it come easy? How about with Bart who seems in and out of the relationship?
I love you. This is one of my favorite topics to think about.
For me, T/K/C is a story that started unfolding v e r y slowly from pretty much the moment YJ finalized their early roster. Cassie’s attraction to Kon was always there, as was the UST between Kon and Tim and the deep respect between Tim and Cassie; but they were all kids at the time and emotions are complicated and everybody had maturing to do before they’d in any way be ready for relationships.
(Though Kon absolutely kissed Tim on accident once while trying to get him to do something incredibly immature, like Gay Chicken, and it sent him (Kon) into a panicky spiral of self-realization when he realized he liked boys too. Tim already knew he was bi and thus only had to deal with the revelation that he didn’t mind getting kissed by Kon in particular.)
When they joined the TT and Kon & Cassie got together, Tim...was jealous. Of both of them. Which surprised him because it’s the first time he's registered that he’s attracted to them both. And then he feels like shit because that is not how friends are supposed to feel about friends finding love with each other, so he commits himself to being the happy and supportive best friend they both need.
And then Kon dies. And Bart dies. And Tim and Cassie both break, and they fall together, and it’s awful, but it’s also like a life perserver, it gets them back to the point where their feet touch the ground. And even at his lowest point, Tim tells Cassie everything he can’t bare to tell his family.
(Red Robin #3 made me cry like a baby)
Then Kon comes back, and he and Cassie try again, but there’s something different, something missing. At some point they realize that they’re both missing and worrying about Tim, and talking that out is when they realize that oh, they both want him. So once he’s in a better mental place they start gradually flirting with him again, first one-on-one so as to gauge his reaction and not scare him off and then finally pulling him into a room at the Tower for some solid polyamory negotiations.
So yeah, it starts off as a big mess of compulsive monogamy and growing up, but once they’ve gone through hell and back they realize that they need each other and anyone who doesn’t like it can die mad.
And Bart -- who is far more emotionally intelligent than anyone, including his best friends, give him credit for -- realizes they’ve all hooked up pretty much the second they walk out of the room, declares “Fricking FINALLY!” and bakes them a “Congratulations on the Sex” cake in the shape of a polyamory pride flag before flinging his body on top of all three to demand cuddles.