Fic: "Etiam in Morte" by kyrdwyn [DCU, Jason/Tim, R. Deathfic warning]
Title: Etiam in Morte
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: R
Series: Beloved
Fandom: Batman (comics)
Pairings/Characters: Tim Drake/Jason Todd, Slade Wilson, Talia al Ghul, Z
Summary: Even in Death, love survives
Warnings: AU. Dark AU. Deathfic (this chapter)
Beta: None
Previous Parts: Beloved | Confusion | Revelation | Conversation | Dead Man's Memories | Maternal Devotion | Protégé | Exposure | Retaliation | Rescue | Meeting of Minds | Breakdown | Support | Plans
"Raptor has breached the perimeter of the safe house."
Tim nodded, pulling his hood up and drawing his sword. "Get the asset to safety," he instructed Z.
"My lord," Z began.
"Leave Pru here with me, but the asset is your priority, Z."
"Yes, my lord."
Tim was vaguely aware of Z bowing and leaving. Tim settled into an easy stance, eyes on the monitors showing Raptor's progress through the safe house's traps. Ninja slowed him down, but Raptor was relentless. Not a surprise. Stephanie Brown was one of the few people who had managed to infiltrate the Bat's organization, and leave with valuable intel on the operations. They wanted her dead. But she was out of the safe house now. But not safe yet, not until they'd gotten her to the main base of operations for the League.
"Raptor's there?" Slade's voice came through the communicator in Tim's ear.
"Yes," Tim replied. "Pru and I have remained behind to engage."
"He still hasn't forgiven you for blowing up the warehouse," Slade reminded him. "Be careful, kid."
Tim smiled. He would always be a kid to Slade, despite having passed his twenty first birthday. "I will. Is Fox there?"
"No, he's dealing with the idiots from Intergang."
Tim sighed, gaging Raptor's progress. Not enough time to call his Beloved. "Give Fox a message for me?"
"What's that?"
Pru approached on Tim's blind side, stepping forward a little so Tim could see her and her guns at the ready. Tim nodded at her. "Tell Fox I said Etiam in morte, superest amor." In death, love survives. Something they always said to each other before a battle, before they parted. But they'd argued about Tim personally going on this mission, Jason not liking how Brown looked at Tim, and they hadn't said it before Tim left.
"I will, Dragon. Make me proud."
Raptor was two rooms away now. Tim and Pru looked at each other, heading for the door. "Always. Dragon out."
Raptor appeared in the far doorway, and Tim smiled, and the fight was on.
"Timothy, can you hear me?"
Tim opened his eye reluctantly. He hurt. Everywhere. Even opening his eye caused the pain to spike. He opened his mouth, but Talia's finger on his lips stopped him.
"Shh, Timothy," she said. "Save your strength." She looked down at him, brown eyes filled with pain and concern and...tears. Slade appeared over her shoulder, and as good as his mentor was at controlling his expressions, Tim had learned to read Slade a long time ago. That, coupled with the pain and the way his vision was darkening, told Tim what Talia didn't want to say.
Tim was dying.
"Jason," he whispered.
"On his way," Slade said.
"He'll be here any minute," Talia said.
"The girl?"
"Safe. As is Prudence. You saved her, Timothy."
Tim swallowed. It was getting harder to breathe. He reached out, fighting the pain. Slade grasped his hand. "No Pit," Tim said.
Talia made a noise, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "Timothy," she said....
"No. Pit."
"No Pit," Slade agreed as Talia stood and moved away. He squeezed Tim's hand. "I promise."
Tim gave him a small smile. "Thanks....dad."
Slade swallowed. He let go of Tim's hand to brush his fingers over Tim's cheek. "Son," he said softly.
"Dragon!" Jason yelled as he entered the room. He stopped, staring at them, then hurried to Tim's side. "No," he said softly, "no."
Vaguely aware of Talia and Slade withdrawing, Tim reached up with a shaky hand to cup Jason's face, not caring about the pain that went through him. "I love you," he said softly, between gasps for air.
"Don't leave me," Jason said. "Tim, Beloved, don't leave me." He grabbed Tim's hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry about last night."
"Me too," Tim whispered. Speaking was difficult, but he kept at it. "Beloved. No... regrets..."
"None," Jason said, leaning in to kiss Tim's lips. "We'll stop the Batman and Raptor, Beloved. I promise."
Trying to smile, Tim curled his fingers tighter around Jason's, gasping as a wave of pain hit. "Wouldn't..... wouldn't change anything. Except... dying."
Jason whimpered and leaned forward, resting his cheek against Tim's. "Love you," Jason whispered. "So much, Beloved."
Tim couldn't keep his eyes open, and breathing was so hard. He knew the end was coming. "Love... you... Beloved. Etiam ... in ... morte.. " He didn't have the breath to finish.
He heard Jason say something, but it was so far away--
Tim woke with a gasp, sitting straight up in bed. He panted for a few moments, shaking his head, swallowing the bile that kept trying to come up. It took a few minutes for him to calm enough to see the room, blinking at the generic walls. This wasn't his room with Jason. This was one of the guest rooms. He hadn't slept in one since the first time he and Jason had made love.
But he'd slept in one last night. Was it the fight they'd had? Tim didn't know.
He threw off the covers and stood, grabbing his eye patch and looping it over his head. Not bothering with a shirt or shoes, he padded out into the hallway of the League's headquarters, following the familiar hallways until he stood outside the suite he shared with Jason. He held out a hand, hovering over the door knob, hesitating. He couldn't remember why he was sleeping somewhere else. Did Jason kick him out? Did he leave on his own?
He grabbed the knob and twisted, opening the door. It didn't matter. He had to talk to Jason, had to apologize. The dream of dying was too fresh in his mind, too real for Tim to ignore.
Jason stood in the middle of their bedroom, fully clothed, staring at their bed, his shoulders slumped. He turned at Tim's approach, eyes wide. "Tim?"
"I'm sorry. Forgive me, Beloved," Tim laid his head against Jason's chest, hands fisting in Jason's shirt. "I.... oh god I can't even recall why we fought that I slept apart from you, but I apologize for it."
"Tim." Jason's voice sounded broken, and Tim clung harder as Jason's arms finally closed around him.
"It's just that....I just... I dreamed," Tim murmured softly. "That I died, when Raptor attacked me. That I left you alone, and I can't... I had to see you." Tim finally looked up into Jason's eyes, seeing the hurt and pain reflected in them. "I love you. Etiam in morte--"
"Superest amor," Jason choked out, arms tightening around Tim. "God, Beloved. My Beloved. I've missed you so much."
Tim looked up, and Jason leaned in, taking his mouth in a hard, deep kiss. Jason turned them, pushing Tim onto the bed, and Tim went willingly, hands removing Jason's clothing as Jason's hands roamed Tim's skin. Then they were both naked, and Tim lost himself in the feel of Jason, of his Beloved.
Morning After
Author: kyrdwyn
Rating: R
Series: Beloved
Fandom: Batman (comics)
Pairings/Characters: Tim Drake/Jason Todd, Slade Wilson, Talia al Ghul, Z
Summary: Even in Death, love survives
Warnings: AU. Dark AU. Deathfic (this chapter)
Beta: None
Previous Parts: Beloved | Confusion | Revelation | Conversation | Dead Man's Memories | Maternal Devotion | Protégé | Exposure | Retaliation | Rescue | Meeting of Minds | Breakdown | Support | Plans
"Raptor has breached the perimeter of the safe house."
Tim nodded, pulling his hood up and drawing his sword. "Get the asset to safety," he instructed Z.
"My lord," Z began.
"Leave Pru here with me, but the asset is your priority, Z."
"Yes, my lord."
Tim was vaguely aware of Z bowing and leaving. Tim settled into an easy stance, eyes on the monitors showing Raptor's progress through the safe house's traps. Ninja slowed him down, but Raptor was relentless. Not a surprise. Stephanie Brown was one of the few people who had managed to infiltrate the Bat's organization, and leave with valuable intel on the operations. They wanted her dead. But she was out of the safe house now. But not safe yet, not until they'd gotten her to the main base of operations for the League.
"Raptor's there?" Slade's voice came through the communicator in Tim's ear.
"Yes," Tim replied. "Pru and I have remained behind to engage."
"He still hasn't forgiven you for blowing up the warehouse," Slade reminded him. "Be careful, kid."
Tim smiled. He would always be a kid to Slade, despite having passed his twenty first birthday. "I will. Is Fox there?"
"No, he's dealing with the idiots from Intergang."
Tim sighed, gaging Raptor's progress. Not enough time to call his Beloved. "Give Fox a message for me?"
"What's that?"
Pru approached on Tim's blind side, stepping forward a little so Tim could see her and her guns at the ready. Tim nodded at her. "Tell Fox I said Etiam in morte, superest amor." In death, love survives. Something they always said to each other before a battle, before they parted. But they'd argued about Tim personally going on this mission, Jason not liking how Brown looked at Tim, and they hadn't said it before Tim left.
"I will, Dragon. Make me proud."
Raptor was two rooms away now. Tim and Pru looked at each other, heading for the door. "Always. Dragon out."
Raptor appeared in the far doorway, and Tim smiled, and the fight was on.
"Timothy, can you hear me?"
Tim opened his eye reluctantly. He hurt. Everywhere. Even opening his eye caused the pain to spike. He opened his mouth, but Talia's finger on his lips stopped him.
"Shh, Timothy," she said. "Save your strength." She looked down at him, brown eyes filled with pain and concern and...tears. Slade appeared over her shoulder, and as good as his mentor was at controlling his expressions, Tim had learned to read Slade a long time ago. That, coupled with the pain and the way his vision was darkening, told Tim what Talia didn't want to say.
Tim was dying.
"Jason," he whispered.
"On his way," Slade said.
"He'll be here any minute," Talia said.
"The girl?"
"Safe. As is Prudence. You saved her, Timothy."
Tim swallowed. It was getting harder to breathe. He reached out, fighting the pain. Slade grasped his hand. "No Pit," Tim said.
Talia made a noise, her eyes filling with unshed tears. "Timothy," she said....
"No. Pit."
"No Pit," Slade agreed as Talia stood and moved away. He squeezed Tim's hand. "I promise."
Tim gave him a small smile. "Thanks....dad."
Slade swallowed. He let go of Tim's hand to brush his fingers over Tim's cheek. "Son," he said softly.
"Dragon!" Jason yelled as he entered the room. He stopped, staring at them, then hurried to Tim's side. "No," he said softly, "no."
Vaguely aware of Talia and Slade withdrawing, Tim reached up with a shaky hand to cup Jason's face, not caring about the pain that went through him. "I love you," he said softly, between gasps for air.
"Don't leave me," Jason said. "Tim, Beloved, don't leave me." He grabbed Tim's hand and kissed it. "I'm sorry about last night."
"Me too," Tim whispered. Speaking was difficult, but he kept at it. "Beloved. No... regrets..."
"None," Jason said, leaning in to kiss Tim's lips. "We'll stop the Batman and Raptor, Beloved. I promise."
Trying to smile, Tim curled his fingers tighter around Jason's, gasping as a wave of pain hit. "Wouldn't..... wouldn't change anything. Except... dying."
Jason whimpered and leaned forward, resting his cheek against Tim's. "Love you," Jason whispered. "So much, Beloved."
Tim couldn't keep his eyes open, and breathing was so hard. He knew the end was coming. "Love... you... Beloved. Etiam ... in ... morte.. " He didn't have the breath to finish.
He heard Jason say something, but it was so far away--
Tim woke with a gasp, sitting straight up in bed. He panted for a few moments, shaking his head, swallowing the bile that kept trying to come up. It took a few minutes for him to calm enough to see the room, blinking at the generic walls. This wasn't his room with Jason. This was one of the guest rooms. He hadn't slept in one since the first time he and Jason had made love.
But he'd slept in one last night. Was it the fight they'd had? Tim didn't know.
He threw off the covers and stood, grabbing his eye patch and looping it over his head. Not bothering with a shirt or shoes, he padded out into the hallway of the League's headquarters, following the familiar hallways until he stood outside the suite he shared with Jason. He held out a hand, hovering over the door knob, hesitating. He couldn't remember why he was sleeping somewhere else. Did Jason kick him out? Did he leave on his own?
He grabbed the knob and twisted, opening the door. It didn't matter. He had to talk to Jason, had to apologize. The dream of dying was too fresh in his mind, too real for Tim to ignore.
Jason stood in the middle of their bedroom, fully clothed, staring at their bed, his shoulders slumped. He turned at Tim's approach, eyes wide. "Tim?"
"I'm sorry. Forgive me, Beloved," Tim laid his head against Jason's chest, hands fisting in Jason's shirt. "I.... oh god I can't even recall why we fought that I slept apart from you, but I apologize for it."
"Tim." Jason's voice sounded broken, and Tim clung harder as Jason's arms finally closed around him.
"It's just that....I just... I dreamed," Tim murmured softly. "That I died, when Raptor attacked me. That I left you alone, and I can't... I had to see you." Tim finally looked up into Jason's eyes, seeing the hurt and pain reflected in them. "I love you. Etiam in morte--"
"Superest amor," Jason choked out, arms tightening around Tim. "God, Beloved. My Beloved. I've missed you so much."
Tim looked up, and Jason leaned in, taking his mouth in a hard, deep kiss. Jason turned them, pushing Tim onto the bed, and Tim went willingly, hands removing Jason's clothing as Jason's hands roamed Tim's skin. Then they were both naked, and Tim lost himself in the feel of Jason, of his Beloved.
Morning After