(Untitled)

[goldeneyedflash]

Bart wanted to take it back. What he'd shouted in response, what he'd done. But he couldn't Even if he'd had a time machine, it wouldn't change anything. Even as a little kid, he was still just a screw-up. So he'd ran. Ran until he could pretend the stinging in his eyes was from the wind. Ran until his legs burned, feeling like they were

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[cantstopmoving]

Even after Tim has napped and been returned to his friends, Bart's trail is easy to follow. Dick finds him in the orchard, covered in dirt and leaves and looking every inch the kid the island had made him.

Their relationship is still pretty tentative, but Dick can't leave a Titan, family, a kid, whatever the label you want to apply, he can't leave one suffering by himself. So he comes on him silently, Bat-like and drops to a seat next to him. "Yeah. It's not my favorite place either."

Instinctively, he starts plucking the leaves from his hair. "You want to talk about what happened back there?"

[goldeneyedflash]

"No," Bart said, simply, torn between pulling away and throwing himself into Dick's arms. He didn't really want to do either. He wanted it to be Tim. "Wanna go home, but there isn't anywhere to go..."

[cantstopmoving]

"Okay. I'm just gonna sit here for awhile then." Bart's got that look, like he needs a hug and a nap and possibly not in that order. Dick keeps his fingers busy pulling the leaves from his hair, and occasionally just running his fingers through it like he's combing it out. "My shoulders need a break before I take you guys home again. Sorry about that."

[goldeneyedflash]

"Is Timmy okay?" Bart asked, serious despite his apparent youth. "I didn't mean to..."

So many things went wrong lately.