[43]

                                    

                                          
Tim had read both the articles including the fake news by Jason and Steph and its response posted by the Gotham Daily. He knew their approach to dealing with the situation was much lighter compared to the many possible actions on his list to take revenge. But it did send a smile upon his face to read the hilarious rumors and how Gotham Daily had been put directly under the spotlight that once instead of being the other way round.
Bart loved the article and he was trying to convince Tim to take them back to Gotham with him so he could personally meet the talented writers behind that fake edition of the Gotham Daily.
"You do realize that you're a speedster and if you wanted so badly to meet Jay and Steph, you could go to Gotham and be back in a jiffy," Tim remarked.
"I could but I won't. Nightwing says we should never abuse the speedforce."
Cassie chuckled at the thought of Bart actually listening to Richard's words, "Wow, and you know, Nightwing's bestie is Wally who has no qualms taking his team members to Georgia and back whenever they're feeling out of it."
Tim smiled, recalling the time Wally had taken him to the best amusement park he had ever been to about two states away. "Wally got a lecture too. But the roller coasters were worth it."
They were talking to each other when suddenly the others around them went into silent mode. Observing the difference, Tim straightened and he too was slightly surprised to see that Batman had come to Titans Tower.
His presence was enough to discipline the younger team members and even the older ones knew the less nonsense they caused in front of Batman, the better.
"Dude, if we should disappear, just give us the word," Bart whispered to Tim who was also contemplating why Bruce was there. 
But he gave Bart a nod nevertheless and right next instant, he had sped off with Cassie tumbling behind him. The rest of the Titans had cleared the living room too so there were only Bruce and Tim in there.
With no one else to listen in on them, Bruce came to take the seat across from Tim and removed his cowl. His pale blue eyes seemed tired than usual and as Tim observed closely, there were no signs of anger or warning on his face.
That meant things weren't as bad as Tim had jumped to the conclusion of earlier.
"Hey," he spoke awkwardly, breaking the silence.
"How are you feeling now?" Bruce asked although it seemed that question alone wasn't enough to convey all he was thinking at the moment.
"I'm fine," Tim's reply was almost automatic; rehearsed, and repeated so many times before that he had lost count. 
He was never fine whenever he said that with so much ease that any other person could easily overlook it. But Bruce knew and he could see the telltale signs of Tim's instability; the hands clasped tight together to hide the slight trembling, the eyes looking at anything but him, and the lips pressed tightly in a forced expression of calm.
"I should have talked to you about this earlier," Bruce began as he knew he would have to sort out the mess he created, "I thought you knew very well that whatever the press says no longer has any effect on me. I had no idea you would take this so seriously."
Tim's lips pursed into a frown as he listened to him, knowing that conversation wouldn't lead to any pleasant outcome. Because its premise was the same as the several other times Bruce had attempted to clear things up but it only became a weird retelling of how it was the other person's fault.
He shouldn't have taken it seriously.
He shouldn't have paid heed to the press.
In full circle, it all came back to him, like always. It was almost as if Bruce operated on clockwork, making the same mistakes over and over again.
Tim sighed softly, slumping back in his seat as that wall of defensive emotionlessness began to crumble. "Bruce, in all honesty, I thought it would be very different this time because the press was targeting Calmia too. I freaked out because I thought you wouldn't want that horrible rumor tainting Calmia's reputation. I thought you would do something, and not knowing what it could be made me anxious, a little more than just anxious since you weren't even talking to me... Well..."
"Doing something in this case is futile, the press goes to great lengths to get a reaction out of us and if we do anything, we are just being played into what they want," Bruce tried to explain, "Besides, I couldn't talk to you because I was busy, not because I was angry at you. I would never be angry at you due to a meaningless article."
"But I did not know that," frustration tainted his voice as he spoke, his eyes urging Bruce to make more sense of the vague words that left his mouth, "However meaningless the article was, it was still targeting your wife. I felt you would react but then you did nothing... Any normal person should have at least some sort of reaction but you didn't... What is that supposed to make me think then? I know you will say I am overreacting now but how is it any worse than you underreacting to everything?"
Bruce was shocked to hear that and for the briefest of seconds, that shock registered on his face. By then Tim stopped himself in the middle of that rant abruptly, as if he too had just realized the intensity of his words. But those words had to be said or else he would suffocate from frustration.
The circle of accusations now had another target in its midst and Timothy Drake was on the verge of exploding with all the smoke that was buried within him.
"Timothy, you must try to understand..."
"And I will if you make me understand!" He leaned forward, his desperate blue eyes clinging to a fading hope, "Sometimes it is so damn frustrating when I am just there, trying to explain everything and justify myself. It's like talking to a wall, a person who's never going to respond the way I expect him to... I never know what to feel whenever it is something concerning you because I either overreact, overthink, overanalyze, or overdo stuff but you don't react at all. It's always me, always... Because I am bearing the weight of both sides, don't you see? Because you never... Never... Explain even remotely how you feel!"
Despite himself, Richard came to the room to check on them because he was worried for his younger brother. Tim had never erupted in front of Bruce yet at the moment, he was finally letting out all the frustration that suffocated him internally.
Neither of them knew how that outburst would end. But deep down, Bruce felt like he deserved it.
"I never wanted things to come to this point but I just can't take it anymore," all of Tim's frustrated energy had dropped to an exhausting zero and he held his head in his hands. "I can't come back to Gotham because you not doing anything about the rumors only made those disgusting accusations seem true... I can't face Calmia after all this and I certainly don't want to ruin your marriage. You are happy with her and I am happy for both of you. But I just can't keep going with this... This one-sided charade of a perfect family I have been living in for the past so many years. I am sorry."
He stood up shakily, knowing Bruce did not have an answer for him. Richard saw his trembling steps and reached out to help him but his face too had paled upon hearing all that had escaped Tim's mouth.
Years of frustration, unspoken words and anger had been triggered by one certain event and the way Bruce had reacted to it by doing nothing at all. And by then, Tim was exhausted, fully worn out after the torrent of painful but true words that he had sucked out of his existence.
He couldn't keep going with that poison leeching him dry, some day or other, it had to come out. However, none of them were prepared for when it did and how it impacted them.
Bruce was stunned and Richard sent him a sympathetic look along with a nod of reassurance that he would try to fix things up. But his priority right then was looking after Tim who seemed to have gotten physically hurt by letting out the years' worth of pain and anguish building up inside him.
They say talking it all out solves many issues but in that case, Bruce had gotten a little too late.
***