Tim who is well aware that he chose to be Robin and could have lived a normal, happy life.
Sure sometimes his parents weren’t present, but they did genuinely care for him. They gave him all the things a kid could need, food, water, shelter, toys and the chance to be his own person. They gave him his first camera, they paid his school an unnecessary amount of money so his class could have a proper science fair, they called him even when they had lots to do at their digs to hear about his schooling and new photos.
Tim Drake was loved by his classmates. Ives may have been his best friend but he had a whole group of friends who hung out with him, listened to his rambles of Batman and praised his photos. He wasn’t the hot-young bachelor but he was on good terms with pretty much everyone, not having any bullies outside of a few prissy girls.
Tim Drake got instant care when he broke his wrist skateboarding at nine, only a short yell from his parents for being careless before he was given kisses and icecream. There wasn’t any medical debt to be paid, the staff even went out of their way to cheer him up while his parents booked the flight back home.
Tim Drake was fortunate enough to have a good family heritage, little worry for hereditary illness outside of a concern for breast cancer. No depression, no immune system issues, not even any generational trauma from war time or unkind parenting.
He was as lucky as one could get and when he chose to be Robin, because he did choose it even if it felt like he had no choice, he chose it as soon as he first jumped a gap between two buildings, he knew what he could face.
He saw Dick Grayson suffer and flee, be smothered by morals and choice to the point he lost himself.
Tim was there when Bruce had to set up the false scene of Jason’s death, was one of the few who knew that the young boy had died so unfairly.
He had seen what all of the Rouges could do, had seen Two Face kill one man and leave the other alive because he wanted to see him tell his friends family how he failed to help his friend.
He saw Ivy rip a man into pieces and bury those parts to be compost for plants in a park.
He saw Penguins men take a woman into an ally and scream for help, with no one coming until he called as an anonymous witness even though several people passed the ally way.
Tim knew the danger and he still did it.
He had everything and becoming Robin…
His parents died, he started to distance from his friends because he couldn’t figure out enough time for them, he treated his partners like shit because he couldn’t handle lying to them about his secret identity, then he got a team and lost had falling outs and some of them died and then Bruce died and he lost his spleen and, well it was hereditary so then it’s only his fault, right?
Sometimes Tim looks at his life as Robin and he torments himself with the ‘what if’ of another life where he let Bruce fall apart. Maybe he did help Bruce pull his head out but didn’t become Robin, didn’t get such a great team and good memories, but then maybe he would still talk to Ives and take photos.
He doesn’t regret it, he values those previous memories with his loved ones, he’s just bitterly aware of the fact that he chose this life.
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