#tim1

There seemed to be a slight trend developing wherein Alfred went several years without seeing certain members of the extended Bat family and he was starting very much to dislike that trend. It had been a long time since he’d seen Jason and Tim had been away on mission for approximately three years with strict instructions not to contact him. The only time Alfred had been tempted to break that was when they’d had to leave Gotham, wanting to send some kind of obscure signal or leave just the slightest trail for Tim to be able to follow so that if and when he returned to Gotham he might have some inkling of what had happened. Alfred hadn’t, though, because he knew the importance of following such instructions. That hadn’t stopped him from missing him terribly but now, finally, he was going to get to see him again. Tim had showed up in Sokovia (what a central hub it was turning out to be) and he was very much looking forward to seeing the young man. Bruce had found him, or perhaps Tim had found them, so he was naturally coming back to the Mousehole and that meant another member of the family was coming home. Well, not home exactly but home as it was now. Alfred still wished, in some way, that he was welcoming him back to Wayne Manor but that was not to be. Regardless, he was happy to be welcoming him back at all. 

When the door opened and Alfred saw him he smiled broadly and approached. “Master Timothy, it’s so very good to see you again.” While he wasn’t always effusive when it came to physical affection some situations called for it and so he held his arms out for Tim in case he wanted to give him a hug. It was best to let the other decide, Alfred figured, but he had a feeling Tim would want to. Regardless, he opened himself up for the hug to show that he would be very much for it if Tim was. He drank in the changed details of the other’s face, how the years apart had leant him some more maturity, wondering at how much change a few years can cause. Still, his heart was full and the more family Alfred could have around him, the better. 

'Bless me,' cried Stephen, staring at his goose and truffle pie - more truffle than goose - 'Mr Pullings, joy, I am amazed, amazed and delighted.'

'I hoped you might be,' said Pullings, and he explained to the others that long ago, when first made lieutenant, he had seen that the Doctor loved trubs, so he had gone out into the forest, the New Forest, where he lived by land, and had dug him a basket, by way of welcome aboard.

He knew he had behaved very ill, and that he was in disgrace. Bonden, though an old friend, had greeted him without a smile, saying ‘You have cut it precious fine, sir. Do you know you have very nearly made us miss the tide, And may yet.’

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‘Upon my word, Doctor,’ said Mowett, the officer of the watch, ‘you have cut it pretty fine, I must say. You very nearly made us miss our tide. What was you thinking of? And you are all wet - sopping wet. How did you get so wet?’

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Mr Pullings, standing by the weather rail, looking stiff and remote, said, ‘The rendezvous was for the height of flood two tides ago, sir,’ with no kind word of greeting.

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Pulling’s grim expression softened a little. He said, ‘You got a ducking, I see. You must not stand there in wet clothes: you will catch your death of cold.

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The cabin door opened.  'Well, Doctor,’ said Jack, looking even taller than usual and far more intimidating. ‘Good morning to you, or rather good afternoon. This is a strange hour to report aboard - this is cutting it pretty fine - this is coming it tolerably high, I believe. Do you know you very nearly made us miss our tide?

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‘Jack,’ said Stephen, shedding his breeches in the cabin, ‘I beg your pardon. I am very sorry for my lateness. I regret it extremely.’

‘Punctuality,’ said Captain Aubrey: but then, feeling that this, the beginning of a homily on the great naval virtue, was hardly generous, he shook Stephen’s free hand and went on, 'Damn my eyes, I was like a cat on hot tiles all through this vile morning and afternoon; so I spoke a little hasty.’

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Pullings and Mowett by the door, drinking grog and evidently waiting for Stephen.

'Here you are, Doctor,’ cried Pullings, shaking his hand. 'On time to the second.’ He was smiling all over his tanned friendly face, but there was more than a hint of anxiety in his eye, and in a low voice he went on, 'Poor Mowett is afraid he upset you, sir, playing off his humours when you came aboard: it was only our fun, you know, sir, but we were afraid you might not have twigged it, being, as I might say, so uncommonly damp.’

'Never in life, my dear,’ said Stephen.

–The Ionian Mission, Patrick O'Brian

‘I did not,’ said Stephen, goaded out of his humility. 'The sea it was that rose.’

'Well, you must not stand there, dripping all over the deck; it ain’t a pretty sight, and you may take cold. Come and shift yourself. Your sea-chest is in my cabin: at least it had some notion of punctuality.’

'Jack,’ said Stephen, shedding his breeches in the cabin, 'I beg your pardon. I am very sorry for my lateness. I regret it extremely.’

'Punctuality,’ said Captain Aubrey: but then, feeling that this, the beginning of a homily on the great naval virtue, was hardly generous, he shook Stephen’s free hand and went on, 'Damn my eyes, I was like a cat on hot tiles all through this vile morning and afternoon; so I spoke a little hasty. Join me on deck when you are shifted, Stephen. Bring the other glass, and we will take a last look at the shore before we round the Wight.’

Aku hanya ingin menjadi orang yang menyebalkan saat ini.

Mengambil langkah mundur kebelakang. Memisahkan diri dari gelak tawa dan canda yang dulu pernah kita lakukan pada pertemuan awal.

Aku hanya ingin menjadi orang yang menyebalkan saat ini.

Berusaha sunyi dikala tawa meledak. Mencoba dingin dikala senyum merekah. Meski aku sadar itu menyiksa.

Aku hanya ingin menjadi orang yang menyebalkan saat ini.

Menarik diri dari keramaian. Bukan untuk menarik perhatian.

Tapi untuk menahan kebersamaan, agar tidak terus bertambah.

Agar tidak semakin sesak.

Aku hanya ingin menjadi orang yang menyebalkan saat ini.

Konon, banyak tertawa di awal hanya menghasilkan banyak duka di akhir

Aku tidak ingin kembali lalai. Menolak kembali hanyut.

Aku harus membenci keakraban ini. Mengenyahkan kenyamanan ini.

Membuangnya sejauh mungkin.

Aku hanya ingin menjadi orang yang menyebalkan saat ini.

Kita tidak pernah mengenal

Kita tidak pernah berbagi rasa

Kita tidak pernah hidup bersama

Dan aku harus membiasakan ini.

Sebelum terlambat. Sebelum jatuh lebih dalam.

Aku hanya ingin menjadi orang yang menyebalkan saat ini.

Terlalu sering membohongi diri sendiri.

Lebih baik tersiksa sekarang

Sebelum nanti dikoyak rindu

‘Here you are, Doctor,’ cried Pullings, shaking his hand. 'On time to the second.’ He was smiling all over his tanned friendly face, but there was more than a hint of anxiety in his eye, and in a low voice he went on, 'Poor Mowett is afraid he upset you, sir, playing off his humours when you came aboard: it was only our fun, you know, sir, but we were afraid you might not have twigged it, being, as I might say, so uncommonly damp.’

'Never in life, my dear,’ said Stephen.