Damian took Steph aside as Alfred sorted out dinner, touching her injured fingers with care, examining the placement of the cut.
“I was overhauling the travel amps.” She admitted quietly. “I know Tim usually does it but…”
“Yes,” Damian answered quietly, gently chaffing her hand between his. Her fingers were cold from fumbling with the equipment as he traced the scar down the palm of her hand – the legacy of a broken violin string.
“I know it could be a while before we hit the road again,” She shrugged. “I just wanted the gear to be ready just in case we wanted to play again…”
“You miss playing?” Damian asked, tracing her calluses.
“I miss the way I feel when we play together.” She whispered honestly. “I miss feeling like everything’s going to be ok.”
He brought her fingers to his lips and kisses them softly. “Do you think having Stark here will help?” Her expression said everything, mirroring his own doubt. “I only hope Dick is more certain.”
“Dickie’ll do what’s best for Tim.” Steph muttered, sounding like she was trying to convince herself as much as him. “We have to trust him.”
Damian hummed quietly and dropped her hand. “Alfred will be waiting for us.”
***
Tim sprawled in Dick’s arms in the quiet of their bedroom as the others were playing cards in the loungeroom. The occasional burst of laughter and happily raised voices drifted to them through the half closed door.
“Are you sure you’re ok with Tony visiting some time?” Dick asked, his fingers carding gently through Tim’s hair.
“I’m not…I’m not sure.” Tim mumbled, his voice still skittish and fumbling in the aftermath of another panic attack brought on by a dropped glass at dinner. “I want to see him but I’m just…I’m not sure I’m ready for…”
“The wildness that is Tony?” Dick asked, almost teasingly.
“To be touched.” Tim admitted quietly. “It’s ok with family but I…”
“Shh baby. I understand.” Dick cradled him close, pressing soft kisses to the top of Tim’s head. “Tony understands. He won’t push.”
The thought of Tony knowing the whole story made Tim stiffen and tremble but Dick rocked him gently.
“But if you want him here…”Tim started. As messed up and confused as he felt, he knew Tony would be good for Dick. Even as he clung to his brother, he felt like a terrible burden. As clingy as he’d been of late he wasn’t ready for anything heavier than hugs and he worried how frustrating that must be for Dick. “I know you must miss having someone to…to be with.”
“Hush!” Dick chided. “Don’t even think that.” He pressed another soft kiss into Tim’s hair.
“I would like having JARVIS around.” Tim muttered sleepily. “Does that make me selfish?”
“No.” Dick assured, tucking the blanket up around Tim. It made sense that Tim would carve the company of someone who wouldn’t judge or worry, even if that someone was technically a something. “Not at all.”
Steph looking in on them a little later, smiling almost sadly as Tim’s sleeping face, vulnerable and child-like. “Jay’s out in the garage playing with the bike. You wanna go talk to him? I’ll sit with Tim.”
“Worrying bout him princess?” Dick asked, easing out from under Tim who snuffled and shifted in his sleep. It wasn’t like her to say something like that without a reason.
“Worrying about all of us.” She answered, curling into the bed with Tim. “Just go talk to him hey?”
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
branchandroot
skating the ice
Date: 2010-07-28 11:31 pm (UTC)“I was overhauling the travel amps.” She admitted quietly. “I know Tim usually does it but…”
“Yes,” Damian answered quietly, gently chaffing her hand between his. Her fingers were cold from fumbling with the equipment as he traced the scar down the palm of her hand – the legacy of a broken violin string.
“I know it could be a while before we hit the road again,” She shrugged. “I just wanted the gear to be ready just in case we wanted to play again…”
“You miss playing?” Damian asked, tracing her calluses.
“I miss the way I feel when we play together.” She whispered honestly. “I miss feeling like everything’s going to be ok.”
He brought her fingers to his lips and kisses them softly. “Do you think having Stark here will help?” Her expression said everything, mirroring his own doubt. “I only hope Dick is more certain.”
“Dickie’ll do what’s best for Tim.” Steph muttered, sounding like she was trying to convince herself as much as him. “We have to trust him.”
Damian hummed quietly and dropped her hand. “Alfred will be waiting for us.”
***
Tim sprawled in Dick’s arms in the quiet of their bedroom as the others were playing cards in the loungeroom. The occasional burst of laughter and happily raised voices drifted to them through the half closed door.
“Are you sure you’re ok with Tony visiting some time?” Dick asked, his fingers carding gently through Tim’s hair.
“I’m not…I’m not sure.” Tim mumbled, his voice still skittish and fumbling in the aftermath of another panic attack brought on by a dropped glass at dinner. “I want to see him but I’m just…I’m not sure I’m ready for…”
“The wildness that is Tony?” Dick asked, almost teasingly.
“To be touched.” Tim admitted quietly. “It’s ok with family but I…”
“Shh baby. I understand.” Dick cradled him close, pressing soft kisses to the top of Tim’s head. “Tony understands. He won’t push.”
The thought of Tony knowing the whole story made Tim stiffen and tremble but Dick rocked him gently.
“But if you want him here…”Tim started. As messed up and confused as he felt, he knew Tony would be good for Dick. Even as he clung to his brother, he felt like a terrible burden. As clingy as he’d been of late he wasn’t ready for anything heavier than hugs and he worried how frustrating that must be for Dick. “I know you must miss having someone to…to be with.”
“Hush!” Dick chided. “Don’t even think that.” He pressed another soft kiss into Tim’s hair.
“I would like having JARVIS around.” Tim muttered sleepily. “Does that make me selfish?”
“No.” Dick assured, tucking the blanket up around Tim. It made sense that Tim would carve the company of someone who wouldn’t judge or worry, even if that someone was technically a something. “Not at all.”
Steph looking in on them a little later, smiling almost sadly as Tim’s sleeping face, vulnerable and child-like. “Jay’s out in the garage playing with the bike. You wanna go talk to him? I’ll sit with Tim.”
“Worrying bout him princess?” Dick asked, easing out from under Tim who snuffled and shifted in his sleep. It wasn’t like her to say something like that without a reason.
“Worrying about all of us.” She answered, curling into the bed with Tim. “Just go talk to him hey?”