crack_van | Less Than Kind by Te (Teen)

Fandom: DC COMICS
Characters/Pairing[s]: Batman/Robin (Tim Drake, Carrie Kelley; others prominently mentioned)
Author on LJ:

thete1
Author Website: http://teland.com/index2.html
Why this must be read:

Hi. I'm

rubynye, and I'll be reccing for DC Comics for the month of June.

When compiling my recs for this month I had to include a Batman/Robin story, because I'm like that, and this story, like all my favorite Batman/Robin stories, is about how that pairing changes, and doesn't change, as different people take on those roles. Also, this story features Carrie Kelley, and her utter devotion to being Batman's Robin, but gives her a Batman whom I think, anyway, deserves her better.

However, Carrie isn't the only Robin Tim has had. And that fact and its ramifications form another reason why this story must be read.

(All that, and Te's Advanced Fanwanking Skills make the setup of the "Titans Tomorrow" arc make *sense*.)

Carrie is all but silent right up until she announces herself to him with the scrape of her utensils on the plate. He -- should've already left. Batman shouldn't.

Batman doesn't require Robin every minute of every day --

Just the same, there's comfort in being too late to leave, especially since Carrie doesn't compound his failure by coming to the roof suited up. There is deniability, here --

"Please tell me you need me."

-- if he can make himself take it. No, he doesn't need her the way she wants him to, right now. He should -- there were times when Bruce would just leave him, confused and -- confused. But Tim can only shake his head, and Carrie frowns at him. Carrie --

"Hey, you're not --" The check of his armor is quick, thorough, and professional, save for the way her palm rests against the Bat for a long moment once she's finished. "Are you -- poisoned? Something?"

"Only by sentiment."

"What -- what are you talking about?"

Tim starts to shake his head again -- stops. "Come home tomorrow night instead of Sunday."

"Ee. Weapons?"

"You -- you're easily distracted," he says, and the rebuke is enough to stop her -- perhaps -- from noticing his own distraction.

She stands, straight but not tall. She may not even outgrow him. Her shoulders are squared, and the musculature of her upper body is more perfect by the day, though she still has far less innate power than Steph had the day Tim met her.

Tim crosses his arms over his chest and waits -- not long.

"I'm focused, B. Now… go patrol before I follow you."

("I knew you'd find me if I just kept going out like this -- you're Batman. And I'm Robin.")

Less Than Kind