#vent piece

There's this trope that I really like where they sort of phase into each other so here's my attempt at that

Here's some other artists' takes on it that are rlly banger...

https://www.tumblr.com/eggsplice/777655097066913792/codepency?source=share

https://www.tumblr.com/lunehowls/774861934107492352/i-really-loved-you-you-know?source=share

There's more but idk where right now!

Here's the bg if you want it

Which, on Christmas, isn't unusual for most people. They're often too busy watching movies or getting ready for dinner, both of which Tim hasn't done in a good long while.

This Christmas is different, though. He may not be surrounded by family, but he's definitely surrounded by something pretty darn close to it. Dick had driven over from Bludhaven, Jason had dropped off some presents earlier before dipping to go spend the evening with Roy and Lian, and Damian had spent the morning in Russia with Jon and his dad, pelting snowballs at eachother.

Bruce, even though he didn't normally celebrate Christmas himself (but got plenty of gifts across the whole of Chanukah from family, friends and co-workers alike) had made sure the bottom of the tree was entirely obscured with the amount of gifts sitting under it.

Kon had dropped round some gifts from the whole team before flying to the Kent farmhouse for what Tim was sure was an abhorrently big meal, enough to feed 10 men. Or, 3 hungry Kryptonians and some (human) change.

Normally, even on Christmas, Tim would've glanced at his phone about 10 times before breakfast. As the only (kind of) adult in the family with any kind of free time over the holiday season, he had taken it upon himself to keep an eye on the Gotham Rogue Gallery's rare daytime dealings, just to make sure they didn't jeopardise anyone's Christmas.

But, this year... he couldn't bring himself to do it.

Because he couldn't stand knowing, definitively, whether or not his parents had wished him a Merry Christmas.

It was the first Christmas out of contact with them. They'd had... a falling out, as Alfred had called it, in September, leading to Tim not being invited home for Christmas this year.

It... sucked. Being so close to the house he grew up in, boxes of his stuff that he hadn't gotten round to moving over to the Nest yet still sitting in their attic. If they hadn't thrown it all out already.

Even though he was surrounded by everyone he needed at this time of year, even though he was surrounded by laughter and light and so much love, he still felt empty. Hollow. Wrong.