lady_sarai

Title: East of the Sun 8/11
Authors:

zoe_chan
Fandom: DC Comics
Characters: Tim Drake/Kon-El (Conner Kent)/Cissie King-Jones
Rating: PG
Word Count: 20,600... give or take.

Summary: Kon and Cissie learn that Tim has set off on a crazy solo mission to find Bruce--despite the fact that the whole world thinks Batman is dead. They set out to find him, but when they do, he is not as eager to see them as they had expected. They decide to tag along with him--to keep him grounded, and because they think he needs their help. Along the way, the three grow closer and become tied together in unexpected ways.

Authors' Note: Written for

polybigbang, which was so fun. Canon-wise, this draws on events from Red Robin 1-3, but because it was started and plotted back in June, it turns AU before the end of Red Robin 3. It is entirely AU from Adventure Comics, sadly, as that did not come out until August. Our dear beta,

xenokattz, managed to read and understand it without knowing recent canon, though. Because she is that awesome.

~*~
Jaipur, India
September 7

The flight to India was uneventful. They found their hotel easily, and Cissie went off for a supply run, while Tim and Kon started unpacking. They'd be here for a little while--well, not here. They had some traveling to do, but the hotel was going to be home base for the next couple of weeks.

Tim glanced over at him. He knew he shouldn't say anything. It was Cissie's place, but...

"Have you talked to Cissie?"

Kon looked up, frowning in confusion. "...Since she left ten minutes ago? No."

"No--before."

Kon gave him a look. "You mean you haven't noticed that we never speak? All our communication is telepathic."

Tim made an impatient noise. "Kon."

He rolled his eyes and sat down on one of the beds. "Okay, okay. Talked to her about what?"

"School," he replied, frowning.

He shrugged. "No. What about it?"

"Do you know when classes were supposed to start?"

Kon made a face, shrugging. "I don't know. I've only ever spent like six months in school, and I started after everyone else--how should I know?"

"The end of August," Tim said, glancing over at him again. "Right before Labor Day."

Kon opened his mouth and closed it again, frowning. "Wait. Really? But that--was a few weeks ago..."

"Yeah, I know."

Kon's frown deepened and he looked over at Cissie's bag. He didn't say anything at first, but then he turned back to Tim. "Did you talk to her?"

Tim let out a sigh. "Yeah. I tried to talk her into going back, but... She doesn't want that." And as much as Tim was worried about that decision, it was hers to make.

"Well... no, I guess she wouldn't." Kon made a face and rubbed at his neck. "Damn. I never even thought about school. She didn't say anything!"

"I know." Tim made a face, wondering if he should keep going. "She... had a scholarship."

"What?" Kon looked over at him sharply. "She did?"

"Yeah. Archery." He'd checked, when he'd found out that Cissie had missed her deadlines. The information wasn't difficult to find, even if he'd done so by less than legal means.

"That makes sense. I guess." Kon scowled. "So what now? I know she's missed a few weeks, but--I mean, what is she planning to do?"

"I don't know," Tim admitted. "She might get back to it later?"

"What'd she say when you talked to her?"

He sighed. "She said that plenty of people take time off before college, and that it was her decision."

Kon frowned thoughtfully at him. "So, wait--she's just... not going at all?"

Tim shook his head. "No. It's too late for her to start this semester."

"Well... what about next semester? Couldn't she go then?"

"I... don't think she's enrolled. I think she's going to need to reapply."

Kon blinked at him. "But you said she had a scholarship."

"She... did," Tim said slowly, glancing over at Kon. "She may not have that anymore."

"Why not? Just because she doesn't start now? Can they do that?"

"It's their money. They can do pretty much what they want to with it, including set it on fire." He shook his head a little. "And I don't think she gave much notice that she was withdrawing." If she gave any. Tim wasn't sure.

Kon blew out a breath, scowling at the other side of the room. "Damn it."

"Pretty much," Tim agreed. The silence stretched between them for several long moments before he turned toward Kon again. "It was her decision, Kon."

"Yeah." He rubbed his hands over his face and dropped back to lie on the bed and frown at the ceiling. He turned his head to narrow his eyes at Tim. "Wait. You're okay with that?"

"She's an adult," Tim reminded him. "She's been taking care of herself since she was fourteen. I think she's qualified to make her own decisions."

"I know that," Kon said impatiently, rolling his eyes. "I meant--you're just letting her skip college and lose her scholarship without trying to change her mind or something?"

He gave Kon an incredulous look. "Are you kidding me? I tried talking to her. It didn't help. If I thought it would do any good, I'd drug her and put her on a plane right now. But she'd be right back."

Kon laughed and dropped his head back to the bed, smirking at the ceiling. "All right. I feel better. You had me worried for a second, with your crazy talk about letting her make her own decisions."

"Well, it is her decision," he said, dropping back onto the bed with Kon. "She'd just hate us for trying to force her to go home."

Kon snorted. "Yeah, she would. And it'd never work. Like you said--she'd track us down and follow us. And then make us regret it."

"Would she ever," Tim agreed, grimacing. "I'm not ready to deal with an angry Cissie, are you?"

Kon laughed and shook his head. "No way! Been there, done that. And I think this would be a lot worse and she would probably not let me kiss her as a distraction, either."

Tim raised an eyebrow. "Does it work? Not that I could really try it, but if I have you on hand next time she's mad at me..."

"It depends on how mad she is and how I time it. And if she thinks that's what I'm doing." He shrugged and grinned at Tim. "But usually, yeah. I'm pretty distracting, you know."

Tim elbowed him a little, grinning. "I'll believe that when I see it."

"What, you don't find my mere presence distracting?"

"Absolutely. I can't think when you're around."

Kon grinned and nodded smugly. "It's a curse, I'm telling you."

"You know, you should work on curbing your rampant sex appeal. It's a wonder people don't just strip off their clothes and throw themselves at your feet," Tim said, keeping his face as serious as he could manage.

Kon looked back at him with a straight face. "You think they don't?"

Tim snorted a little with laughter and shook his head. "Funny."

"Hey, the future is a weird place!" He shrugged and elbowed Tim's side. "But I'll try and tone it down. Just for you."

"Sweet of you," Tim said dryly. He turned his head to look at Kon. "Missed you. When you were gone."

Kon gave a small smile. "Missed you too." He turned his head to look at the ceiling. "I mean--I kinda felt like Rip Van Winkle or something, like I just slept for a long time. It was harder on you guys. But I did miss you, in the future. And when I got back." When he looked back at Tim, his expression was serious. "I'm sorry."

Tim blinked at him in confusion. He was... sorry? "For what?"

Kon just looked at him quietly before he answered. "For not being around. That you had to go through all that."

"Kon--" he exhaled sharply. "You can't blame yourself. You did good. It's not your fault that things sucked after you were gone."

He blew out a short breath, frowning. "I'm not blaming myself. I'm just--sorry. You're my best friend, and things really sucked for you. I'm allowed to think that's crappy, right?"

"Yeah." Tim grimaced at him. "Thanks. It--was pretty crappy."

"You know if you want to tell me about it, you can." Kon smiled sadly. "Cassie didn't want to. And I know there's stuff Cissie hasn't told me yet. But I'm here now, right?"

Tim gave him a wan smile. "I... lost my mind for a while, after you died," he admitted quietly. "I did things I'm ashamed of. I'm not sure I want to tell you what it was like."

Kon's smile faded and he moved to lie on his side, facing Tim. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I think--well, Cassie told me you kissed. I don't know what else you did or whatever, but I don't think I have much room to pass judgment on any of it. Since I was gone, and--yeah."

Tim let out a short, humorless laugh. "That... was the least of it, Kon."

He shrugged. "Well, I didn't think it was a huge deal, but Cassie did."

"It would probably be a bigger deal if I kissed Cissie," he said with a small smile, latching onto the change of subject. Maybe Kon would stay distracted. Maybe he wouldn't ask what Tim had done.

Kon opened his mouth to argue, and frowned, looking confused. "Okay, that's completely different. ...Isn't it?"

"I would think so..." Tim said slowly, giving him a bemused look. "As you're actually dating her right now, when the hypothetical kiss would occur."

"Yeah, I know. But I was dating Cass when she told me. Or I think I was. I thought I was?" He made a face and shook his head. "Or maybe I just hoped I was." Kon flopped back onto his back. "This whole dying and coming back thing is seriously confusing sometimes."

"I bet." Tim smiled slightly. "If it makes you feel better, it happened about a year after you died. We dated--really briefly--and then broke up."

"I tried telling her that I was okay with it. Because I wouldn't have wanted her to never date anyone else and to be unhappy forever. I mean, that's ridiculous. I was dead. You guys didn't have any reason to think I'd be coming back." He blew out a sigh and looked at Tim. "Why'd you break up?"

He took a breath and let it out before answering. "I believe," he began slowly, "that she said she needed to move on from you, and that she couldn't do that while she had people to stand in for you. If I recall, that's when she stopped being friends with Kara as well."

Kon was quiet for several long moments. "Oh."

"I did warn you things were bad," Tim said, his voice quiet as he stared past Kon at the wall.

"I know," he said just as quietly. "I'm sorry. She shouldn't have--" He broke off, shaking his head. "It sounds like she was using you."

"It's not... quite that simple. We were both lonely. We both missed you."

"Yeah." He exhaled heavily and scrubbed at his face. Making a noise in his throat, he sat up. He looked across the hotel room for a minute, then turned back to Tim. He held out a hand to pull him up and into a hug.

Tim smiled a little and took the hand, hugging Kon back tightly. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

He gave a dry laugh. "Now why are you sorry?"

"That--" Tim made a face, glad Kon couldn't see it. "That I couldn't have been better while you were gone."

Kon pulled away just enough to smack the back of Tim's head. "Hey. Knock it off."

"What was that for?" Tim asked indignantly.

"For holding yourself to impossible standards. Stop blaming yourself for that stuff."

"It's not that impossible," he muttered.

Kon smacked him again, shaking his head. "Yeah, right. What if I said something like that? ‘Gee, Tim, sorry I wasn't exactly myself after you died.' You'd tell me to stop being an idiot."

"Of course I would," Tim snapped, rolling his eyes.

"So now I get to tell you to stop being an idiot."

"Stop being so logical!"

Kon laughed. "Man, there is something wrong when you are telling me to stop being logical. Cissie will never believe it."

Tim bit down on a smile. "You have no proof."

"You are evil," he said, but grinned. "Come on. We should finish unpacking--she'll be back soon."

Tim pushed himself up. "Well, if we're not done when she gets back, we'll just have to tell her that you turned the awesome power of your sex appeal on me, and I was too dazzled by it to do any actual unpacking. I'm sure she'll understand."

Kon laughed. "Well, you're probably right. After all, if anyone would understand..."

"Yeah, yeah," Tim held up his hands, laughing. "Spare a single guy the details, okay?"

Kon just grinned and started putting Cissie's clothes in drawers.

Part 9: Helsinki, Finland