Diabolical | T. Drake ✔

[38] Boyfriend Issues

Tim returned to Wayne Manor completely exhausted.

He had helped Jonathan clean out his entire apartment which was quite a cumbersome feat considering that place had been abandoned for almost a decade. In his ten-year period of imprisonment, Crane had escaped twice and both times he had been found by Timothy.

The first time he had escaped, he returned to his apartment only to get abducted by a twelve year old and then put back into Arkham by Batman. The second time he escaped, he returned to Arkham himself after spending a month in the Drake Manor's basement rather than his own accommodation in the Narrows.

So it was safe to say that Crane's apartment hadn't been in any use for ten years and the mess accumulated in it was too much to clear up by just one person. Even with Tim there to help Jonathan, throwing all that mess out took a lot of time and after that, Tim had no strength left to go grocery shopping even though he had suggested they could manage it.

So Jonathan had told him to call Alfred and go back home, thanking him for his help. When Tim reached home, there was no one around and he was too tired to climb the stairs up to his room so he simply collapsed on the comfy living room couch.

He had no idea about what was going on in his surroundings as he drifted off to a fatigued slumber shortly afterward.

When the other members finally returned, they were surprised to see him passed out like that.

Cassandra had come back from her shopping trip with Steph and Barbara and currently they were considering whether to wake Tim up for dinner or not.

Steph, however, wasn't with them as she had left the mall early saying that she had a meeting with a friend that she couldn't cancel. So at the moment, only Cass and Barbara were in the living room, deciding what to do with Tim.

"He won't eat anything if we wake him up either so perhaps we should let him rest," Barbara remarked.

"Steph not home?" Cass asked, looking around for the blonde-haired girl.

"I guess she hasn't come back yet," the elder woman replied, "come, Cass, dinner is ready."

By the time Tim woke up, he was surprised to see the others in the living room watching television but the noise hadn't disturbed him at all. Cass was sitting on the other end of his couch, Richard and Barbara were curled together in their favorite window seat, Jason was lounging on the rug spread out on the floor but Steph was nowhere to be seen.

"Hi guys," he mumbled sleepily as he sat up, "it's so confusing that I didn't realize y'all were here."

"You must have been really exhausted," Jason said, "or else you would have shot up like a frog the second Cass took that seat beside you."

He hummed in reply, rubbing his eyes to see clearly, "where's Steph?"

"In her room," Cass replied but the frown on her face indicated something was wrong.

Tim noticed and caught her gaze, raising an eyebrow to silently ask her what she was thinking.

She shook her head but then signed for him to come with her.

Knowing she didn't want the others to be bothered, Tim stood up, "alright then, I'm going to bed. Wake me up when you guys leave for patrol."

"You sleep," Cass remarked, "no one wake Tim."

Jason chuckled lightly, "sure, Cass, don't worry about that. Timmy can go to sleep for as long as he likes."

"And don't kill me in my sleep, alright?" Tim added although it was a joke.