Tim had been dating Scotty for three months and it was going well.
It wasn’t going super great, they sometimes struggled to communicate with each other and each had pet peeves that were the others habit, but Tim had learnt to prefer that. Perfect dynamics tended to stress him out because he was so used to things being too good to be true.
Scotty was a funny charmer who worked at a bar, a little taller than Tim and with a fancy accent that Tim found endearing.
They had gone on several dates and had sex a couple of times already, though Scott was fine with Tim wanting to take it slow in the bedroom.
At least, that’s what Tim thought.
Yet he was standing in his own living room of his apartment with a hand cradling his cheek.
The cheek Scotty just slapped because Tim hadn’t wanted to go further than their make out session.
Tim felt like he couldn’t process it.
Scotty was a nice person, he was patient and respectful and didn’t mind when Tim didn’t want to explain scars and worried over any bruises.
Yet he may well have just caused one.
Tim didn’t even cry at first, just standing in the same spot as Scotty made a show of huffing and puffing and then claiming he needed to go for a walk before he, and quote, ‘did something stupid’.
As if he hadn’t already done that when he hit his partner.
At first Tim wanted to yell at him and hit back, but by the time he remembered he could do that Scotty was gone. He hated himself for just standing there and letting himself be abused and yet at the same time he knew that wasn’t right. He had helped many abuse survivors and he knew logically, mentally and emotionally that it didn’t matter how you reacted to being hurt by someone you love, they still hurt you and that was where the wrong was.
He knew he had to tell someone, and quickly before he bailed out and just let himself forgive his boyfriend.
He first thought of Jason. If he was being honest, Jason came to mind because Tim knew for sure he was physically abused growing up and that he hated abusers. It wasn’t kind to make that all of who Jason was, even if he wanted to have someone who wouldn’t blame him.
But Jason might kill him.
Dick might also kill him, just with a bit more hesitation and crying.
Cass would be willing to do anything Tim needed. She’d probably be happy to frame Scotty for something that would give him life in prison.
But he couldn’t face his sweet sister right now, not with a red and burning cheek.
Bruce… was hard to talk to on a good day, let alone when Tim was emotionally vulnerable, and chances were he’d make it into a big dramatic thing. To be fair, Dick would too, they were both some of the most dramatic people in the family.
Steph would help no matter what, even if they weren’t exactly on talking terms as of late.
Alfred might kill him because in reality, that’s what the butlers beliefs really were.
Damian was only sixteen and while that didn’t really make him a child anymore, Tim wasn’t comfortable making him help him through this when he knew the boy had lived too much of his life around violence and was only just growing accustomed to life without it being a 24/7 feature in it.
Tim didn’t even know what he needed exactly, he just knew he had to tell someone so they could hold him responsible and make sure he wouldn’t get stuck in a situation that left him hurting and broken by someone he was meant to be able to trust.
He needed someone kind but not a push over, someone who would call him out if need be, someone who would be able to protect Tim if something like the slap happened again and Tim still froze.
He didn’t think he would, the shock was passing, but Tim wasn’t used to being shocked in the first place.
Jack and Janet weren’t the greatest parents and they defiantly had immoral parenting tendencies, but they never subjected Tim to physical abuse. It’s why he was left reeling because the only time someone he loved hit him was in training and that was often folded by check ins or icecream.
Tim didn’t need someone who understood that like Jason might have, but there were people who understood without having experience, rare as that may be.
So, if Tim needed someone kind and strong and smart but also ballsy enough to challenge Tim…
Around three minutes after Scotty left Tim finally moved to pull his phone out of his pocket.
Almost as if being controlled by strings he found the contact and typed out a quick message, short and simple before he overthought it.
My boyfriend hit me. Need help leaving.
Almost four seconds after he hit send did he get a reply:
Tim broke apart as soon as he read the first word.
He crumpled to the ground and sobbed as he realised how unfair it all was.
Tim was a flawed man, he kept secrets even when he didn’t need to and spent more time thinking about how people might be against him than he did trying to work with them, but he was still just a person.
He wasn’t cruel or mean and even if he was an asshole, that didn’t mean he should be hit just for not wanting to have sex.
He had been good to Scotty, been more and more open in the last month, and yet Scotty snapped under no pressure at all.
It wasn’t fair that Tim was able to win fights against gods and know all these different fighting styles and skills and yet he was still just a human being. What was the point in being so strong if he couldn’t protect himself from something so simple?
Tim felt like he could throw up form how violent his sobs were when his apartment door was practically kicked down.
He turned to look up, part of him worried it was Scotty and part of him hoping it was so he could kick his ass or ask him to say sorry so they could move on, and all of him was relieved when Duke Thomas rushed forward to bring him into a hug before the door even finished swinging.
Tim was repeating apologies, telling him it wasn’t that big of a deal and he was just being dramatic, and Duke just shook his head and squeezed him against his chest.
The eighteen year old was radiating anger and yet he stayed calm as he ran a hand over his pseudo-brothers back.
“You didn’t do anything wrong, Tim. Nobody has a good reason to hit their partner. I’m not letting anyone do that to anyone, especially my friend and brother.”
Tim sobbed again and nodded.
They stayed like that for a bit, Duke eventually moving them into the couch and asking if he wanted Bruce. He accepted it when Tim said no and asked him what he wanted to do.
When Tim said he had to leave his boyfriend but still wanted to give him a chance Duke didn’t question it, he just accepted and told him that he would stand by Tim as he gave Scotty the chance to explain himself but that he wouldn’t let Tim accept any bullshit.
It was only a minute after he said that when Scotty returned.
He didn’t look shameful or guilty, just sheepish as he stumbled through the broken door and then he seemed to grew annoyed when he saw Duke.
Scotty opened his mouth to ask who he was but Tim managed to speak first, “You hit me.”
Finally Scotty looked a little guilty but it morphed into anger, “Tim, look I made a mistake but it was one time, you didn’t have to call someone-“
“I think he did.” Duke answered coolly, but Tim knew him well enough to know he wasn’t going to stay civil for long.
“Are you sorry?” Tim asked, holding his chin high even as his face was still wet and his cheek now slightly purple.
Scotty faltered for a moment, no more than a second, but it was enough for them both to understand. “I- of course I am, just- why don’t we talk about this alone, yeah? We don’t need to involve other people.”
Tim shook his head, “No, I don’t want to be alone with you.”
Duke cut Scotty off instantly, “You heard him. Now I wanna know, what are you sorry for?”
Sputtering, Scotty looked between his boyfriend and the stranger and made a weird face, “What- I already said I’m sorry, can we just-“
“What. For.” Duke snapped.
After a moment of silence Scotty answered, “For h-hitting you. I didn’t mean to-“
“You fucking did!” Tim shouted and Duke felt himself smile proudly at his older brother. Tim kept going, “You hit me because you didn’t get what you wanted and if you could it once you’ll do it again!”
Scotty once again went to speak but Duke was done. He had seen and heard enough to know he couldn’t leave Tim to this relationship and had to get this guy to fuck off.
Duke scoffed at him and crossed his arms, looking at the other guy like he was a slab of meat, “how pathetic do you have to be to hit someone just cause you want to get laid?”
Tim, who knew of Duke’s powers, was still a little surprised at Duke knowing the reason behind the hit but he managed to play it off quickly.
He should have known that Duke would be nosey and get all the infomation he could, it was one of the reason the two of them got along so well.
Scotty now looked properly embarrassed and ashamed but it was too late for Tim to care. He pointed at the door and spoke in a voice a little too close to his Red Robin tone, “Get out, I’ll mail your shit to your mums house. If you don’t wanna leave then that’s fine, but I’m not gonna stop Duke from kicking your ass and he’s not gonna stop me from doing so either, so you’ll just be fucked.”
Duke, who was at heart a shit stirrer, gave a wolffish grin and added, “Or we’ll just tell Bruce Wayne and see what he has to say.”
Scotty left pretty quick after that and Duke was radiating joy, literally with his slightly glowing irises.
Tim smiled at his little brother and raised a gentle hand to cup his cheek in an affectionate gesture, “Thank you, Duke. I’m sorry for bringing you into this, I just thought you’d handle it better than some of the others. Don’t tell Bruce though, he’ll genuinely go crazy.”
Duke, who was planning on telling Bruce anyway and was already excited for the inevitable chaos that would bring, just smiled at his brother and apologised for breaking his door.
Scotty was well and truly fucked, just like he wanted to be.
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