#bartimberkon

(Ao3 link)

It hadn't started out like this. It hadn't meant to end up like this. Jason had begun the night relatively peacefully, until he had come accross new evidence for a ring he knew Tim had been planning to take down.

It was late in the evening (morning, technically, as it was around 3am) and he knew that the replacement Tim had retired early, something about a meeting at silly o'clock the next day. What Tim considered 'silly o clock' was undefined, at least to Hood. Even so, Jason had been looking for ways to get through to Tim. He'd apologised, but it didn't seem to be enough. So. The evidence. He'd taken copies, and headed down to where Tim's tracker, according to the BatNetwork, stated he was last, intending to give the evidence as a peace offering.

What he had not expected, was to arrive at a relatively well-furnished and incredibly cozy apartment, instead of one of Tim's typical, bare safe houses. Relaticelt open plan, the bedroom seemed to be at the other side of the living room.

Carefully disengaging the BatLockingDevices and BatAlarms, Jason broke in and headed towards a cracked open door, slightly confused that it was ajar, until the answer to his unfinished question appeared, as he almost tripped over a sleeping tabby cat. "Tim?" He hissed quietly. No answer. Huffing, Jason headed towards the open door, stepping inside.

Green, wide eyes met bleary, Kryptonian blue ones. Kon shifted in shock, his arms bumping the fluffy red head beside him, prompting Impulse- was that his name? Or was it Kid Flash? he was definitely the speedster from Tim's team- to wake with a huff. The two stared at Jason for what felt like minutes, although realistically, it was merely seconds. Yet those seconds were long enough to prompt a sleepy grumble from Tim (it must have been Tim, as the other sleeping guy was blond). Superboy and Impulse's eyes strayed to Tim for all of a second before returning, burning with confused, sleepy anger at Jason.

Before they could move, Tim awoke. Almost immediately, his eyes fell on Jason, and still blurry with sleep he gasped silently, and shook in fear, his arm nudging unintentially harshly against the unknown blonde beside him, who also awoke. The surprising fear response (surprising only in that Tim was usually awake enough to mask it) brought a wave of guilt upon Jason, who sagged in the doorway. After a moment of concernedly brushing a hand down Tim's side, the unknown nodded gently at the supers, and gently reached for Tim, as they turned their attention upon the intrudor. The silent communication was enough to prompt Superboy and Impulse to charge at Jason, which is how he ended up where he is, now.

Harshly held by the throat against a wall in the living room he'd passed in earlier. Jason spared one hysterical moment to be thankful that they all seemed to be wearing pyjamas. He really didn't want to be pinned to a wall by his brother’s naked boyfriend.

He then met angry, burning eyes with glowing acid green. Impulse buzzed beside the Super, particles wavering as he hissed threats into Hood's ear. "You're Hood." Jason met the Super's gaze. "Yes." Kon's eyes narrowed. "The asshole who beat up, nearly to death, my best friend." The statement was accompanied by a stronger squeeze to Jason's throat. "I'm sorry." Bart growled in response. "Be sorry all you like. I'm still going to vibrate you half through a wall, so that your particles rip and collapse from the separation and your screaming and begging except you won't be able to because all your cells will be collapsing-"

"Bart." The soft statement was murmured from the other side of the room, by the brown-eyed man, an arm wrapped around Tim's waist as his little brother, the bat stared at the intruder. "Hood."

"Tim" Jason wheezed around the hand on his throat. "Kon, let him speak."

"Seems fine to me."

"Kon." Tim's tone was mildly admonishing. Kon huffed, but released the pressure on Jason's throat, admittedly only slightly. "Hood. What are you doing here?"

"I.. had evidence. Thought it might be useful." Tim raised an eyebrow at the response. "A full hour after I had signed off for the night?" Jason bit his lip "Well, I figured, peace offering?" Tim gave a soft snort. "Love, let him go." Kon released him with a final, harsh squeeze, as Tim gestured to the coffee table.

The blond and Bart- seriously he needed the blond's name. He wasn't any meta or hero he recognised, but if he was fucking? Dating?Well, Something, Tim, along with two other heroes, he really needed to know the guy's name. Resisting the urge to ask, or tease his brother over the boys in Tim's? bedroom, Jason handed the papers over, placing them gently on the table.

Tim looked at them doubtfully, before reaching over, and leafing through, the blond continuing to cuddle him from beside him, glaring at Jason over Tim's shoulder. A hand strayed from the folder to the blond's arm. "Its alright, Bear" Tim murrmured quietly. Bear? -Unusual name. A nickname?- buried his face in the curve of Tim's beck, giving it a gentle kiss, before looking back up to continue glaring. It was only marginally less violent than Bart and Kon's. Yeah, he deserved that. But that wasn't what was important! As Tim continued to stare down at the papers in his hand his eyebrows rose, before he dropped it gently on the table. "What do you want for this?" "Nothing." Tim's stare analysed him for a long moment. "Alright. Thankyou." Jason let out a quiet breath. "No prob."

"Now get out."

Movement from accross the street catches his eye. But before he can move to get a better vantage point, Conspiracy whines. Looking at his cat, Tim sighs. Well... Catwoman is at the bar with Poison Ivy and Harley, right? Sure its against code to go into the stake out, but it's for Conspiracy.

(Perhaps, if Tim had been slightly less tired, he would have realised that a) entering the bar he had been staking out for an appearance of Two Face might he a bad idea, or b) Conspiracy might be perfectly fine, but unfortunately, Tim is that tired.)

Nodding to himself, Cardinal stood up, gently picking up Conspiracy as he did. Grappling down the side of the wall, Tim strolls into the gay bar, and heads straight for Catwoman. Confused, Selina turns to look Cardinal in the eyes. "...Cardinal??"

Wordlessly, Tim just holds up Conspiracy for her inspection.

Poison Ivy huffs a quiet laugh. "Is that for Cat, Birdie?" Tim frowns, and pulls Conspiracy close to himself, before showing her to Catwoman again. "...she doesn't look like a stray. Do you want me to rehome her?" Selina asked gently, noticing the subtle shake of Tim's arms from his tiredness. Tim frowns in response, and shakes his head.

As he opens his mouth to huff in frustration, he's picked up gently from behind.

---

30 mins before:

Kon, Bernard, and Bart are all in the kitchen, quietly waiting for Tim to return. The clock ticks slowly. Bart breaks the silence, "he was supposed to be back ages ago." Bernard frowns at the clock. "You're right." Kon straightens. "Think we should go get him?" He asks. Bernard hums in response. "Yeah, I think so. It's been too long, and i don't think he's slept." Bart and Kon nod. "We'll go find him." Bernard smiles, as the two rush to find their hero costumes, before leaving at super speed, swiftly leaving a kiss on each of his cheeks as he starts grabbing ingredients to make them all a late-night/early-morning snack before sleep.

Impulse and Supernova search quietly through Gotham, careful not to alert The Bat to their presence, but noticable enough if you were aware of them. The quiet crackle of electricity and rush of air follows them, as they finally arrive at a gay bar, seeing Tim stumble in, clearly tired out of his mind.

Frowning, they glance at each other, before following behind quietly.

They open the heavy oak door, to see Tim pushing Conspiracy at Catwoman. Wary of the various villains and anti-heroes at the bar, they try to stiffle their snorts.

Kon walks behind Tim, smiling gently at Cardinal's silent, sleepy insistence that Catwoman should look at Conspiracy, before gently picking him up.

Bart grins, and takes Conspiracy. Nodding at the various anti-heroes, they leave, laughing as the door closes behind them.

Tim grumbles in Kon's arms, before twisting, nuzzling his head against Kon's chest before falling straight to sleep. Conspiracy perches on Bart's shoulder as they walk home, making sure to take some detours to avoid detection.