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Tim is… nervous, to say the very least. He never wanted his family - and what a wonder that is, his family; and they have been all along - to find out about Ra’s this way. He never wanted to subject them to his pain and suffering, especially not with such a graphic and disturbing video. But, as they say, the cat is outta the bag. And the bag has been set on fire, the ashes snorted up. All to say, everything is out now, whether he likes it or not - he does not, he does not like it at all.
But everyone else had been really supportive; hell, Damien called him by his first fucking name. Steph, Cass, and Dick shared their own personal stories of attempted or completed assault, which was actually really helpful in making Tim feel way less alone - even if he feels like his situation is a little bit different, considering they had an agreement.That’s a feeling he cannot shake no matter how hard his loved ones try to convince him otherwise. After all, Tim signed it and everything, it’s on paper, so he had to be complicit in everything somehow. But they’re trying to drill it into his head that: coercion is NOT consent and rape is rape.
Maybe if he says those statements out loud enough he’ll actually believe it.
The issue is, Bruce knows. Ra’s sent him the video as some sick, perverted way of gloating for ‘ruining’ Tim, or whatever. Tim just hasn’t been able to work up the guts to actually talk to him about it. So, of course, Bruce ambushes him.
It’s five in the morning and Tim is in his Nest, looking over the security footage for his newest case; trying (and failing) to brute force all thoughts of Ra’s out of his mind. It is not working. Which is when Bruce barges in through his window. Great.
He’s been avoiding this conversation ever since Bruce showed up to the Nest after everyone was forced to watch the video, and he does not want to have it right now. Right now, he is busy. But Bruce doesn’t care about that - of course he doesn’t.
“Tim.” Bruce says, sounding emotionless, but the heart-broken expression on his face is enough to portray how he’s really feeling.
“Bruce.” Tim says, matching his tone. Bruce clears his throat awkwardly.
“I saw the uh… the video, lad.” And now he sounds so wounded, like these words are physically painful for him to choke out, but he soldiers on. “And… I’m so sorry Tim.”
Now that takes Tim by surprise. Tim can count on his hands how many times Bruce has apologized to him over the years, and this isn’t even his fault. Tim doesn’t want him to apologize for what he did willingly to save him.
Was he willing? He’s not so sure anymore. These last few weeks have changed his perspective on the situation quite a bit.
“You don’t have to apologize. You weren’t even there.” Tim says flatly, avoiding eye contact just so he doesn’t have to see how fucking guilty Bruce looks right now - he doesn’t think he can handle seeing any more tears fall out of his adoptive father’s eyes.
“That’s the thing, Tim. I wasn’t there. I should’ve been. I should’ve figured out something was going on faster than I did. It shouldn’t have taken that horrific video for me to realize how obsessed he is with you,” Bruce sounds beyond disgusted, definitely at Ra’s, but also it seems at himself. Tim is silent.
“All the gifts, the phone calls, the letters - it all clearly made you so uncomfortable but I ignored it because I thought it was a clingy ex or something, not -- not this. Never this.” He says, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Bruce cups Tim’s face in his hands gently, and Tim can see all the grief, guilt, and anger in his eyes. Anger at the situation, at himself. Guilt for not being there, for not noticing. Grief for the childhood that was taken from Tim and the person he once was before Bruce died. All of these emotions, swirling together to create one dark brown pool of pain in his father’s eyes. Tim leans into the touch, lets Bruce plant a kiss on the crown of his head before he moves away, instead taking his dad’s hands in his and softly saying:
“It wasn’t your fault. Yeah, you didn’t notice exactly what was wrong - but you knew something was wrong, I was just being so fucking stubborn. I never would have said anything if Ra’s didn’t force my hand. I wanted to hide it forever, so you guys wouldn’t worry.”
Bruce looks even sadder than he did before, if that’s even possible.
“Lad, we want to worry about you - because we love you. We want you to come to us when you’re struggling, you’re a part of this family. I know I haven’t always done the best job showing that, but you are. You’re my son, worrying about you is my job. And maybe it isn’t my fault, but I still could’ve doen better. You deserve better, Tim. I’m sorry.”
“...you’re forgiven. You’ve always been forgiven.” Despite how hard he tries not to, when Tim says this he bursts into body wracking, heaving sobs. His body weight falls onto Bruce as he cries and cries and cries. A gentle hand rubs soothing circles on his back as the other wraps around him, pulling Tim into a bone-crushing hug.
“I love you so much, Tim.”
“I love you so much, Dad.”