Archive of Our Own

Don't go tonight
Stay here one more time
Remind me what it's like, oh
And let's fall in love one more time
I need you now by my side
It tears me up when you turn me down
I'm begging please, just stick around

I'm sorry, don't leave me, I want you here with me
I know that your love is gone
I can't breathe, I'm so weak, I know this isn't easy
Don't tell me that your love is gone
That your love is gone

- “Love is Gone” by Dylan Mathew and SLANDER.

...

"We were going to get married, on our wedding day, what happened?" Tim asked, almost desperate to understand.

There was a beat of silence.

"...Broken promises,” was all Danny could say, regretful.

There was nothing more heartbreaking than in the final hour, you were left standing at the altar with all of your family, friends, and everyone else he couldn’t name watching you break down that the person you were about to marry left you there.

At first, Tim didn’t want to believe that the person he trusted and loved would do this to him, after all the months of planning and years of being together. His brain scrambled to find the logical excuse that maybe the love of his life had something come up, but nothing he could think of was good enough reason to be left standing here awkwardly in front of their family and friends on their special day.

But with just one look at Steph’s sad look, he knew that this was real. A sense of betrayal washed over him, rocking his mind to the very core. Spots flashed in his vision before suddenly the whole world turned, a couple of hands grabbing him everywhere as his mind tried to grapple with this reality.

The first time Tim met Danny was at work. Tim had been the co-CEO at that time, whereas Danny was only an intern in the Aerospace division.

It was surprising they hadn’t met till 3 months into Danny’s internship if they consider the number of times they nearly bumped into each other, and they happened to be the only two employees (by technicality) at the same age. It was only a matter of time before fate finally decided those two must meet.

The sight in front of him banished all thoughts of sleepiness, taking his ability to breathe with it. The most vivid pair of blue eyes he’d ever seen flashed in surprise, with a mouth shaped in an ‘O’ before a professional smile was in place as the handsome stranger stopped in his tracks. His inky black hair was ruffled like a bird’s nest. Tim’s fingers itched to brush away those fringed bangs that were nearly covering those mesmerizing eyes he had ever laid eyes on, and that jaw. Wow. The stranger was dressed in a semi-casual outfit, and one glance at the ID told him this guy worked there, which surprised Tim for a moment because he would have definitely noticed a cute guy around his age working there.

“Sorry about that,” the employee offered, which had Tim blinking in surprise, realizing that he had been staring at this cute guy, which he shouldn’t have since he’s technically his boss.

“It’s fine,” Tim waved it off as he inspected the name tag. “...Danny.”

Danny gave an awkward chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck. “Still, I have to get going. Bye!” He dashed away before Tim could reply.

Tim stared at him curiously, before shaking his head. It wouldn’t really do good to be dating someone here. The HR would have killed him and he still had more pressing things to work on.

“You okay?” Steph’s gaze met his, full of concern. Tim just gave her what he hoped was an assuring nod as he tried to adjust his tie.

“Feeling nervous,” Tim admitted before looking out the mirror and making sure he still looked presentable in his pristine suit. Black slacks and a crisp white shirt underneath his black blazer, matching the color of his shoes and tie. Today’s the day.

“You’re not getting cold feet, are you?”

It’s normal, Tim thought. To be this nervous. It’s called pre-wedding jitters. He’s all bundled in nerves like he had 10 shots of expresso with the way his feet were jittery, but it’s not like Tim could help it. In a few minutes, he would be walking to the altar blindfolded, with his other half doing the same as if they were meeting halfway.

Everyone was already seated from what Tim heard, judging by a loud organ playing in the background. He hadn’t seen what the girls had done since he put them in charge of everything else (because there was no way he was letting his brothers do that job, except maybe the food because Alfred and Jason were the ones handling most of it), from flowers, food, decorations and everything else. All he had to worry about was his vow and he was good to go.

“As long as you’re happy and this is what you want,” she said softly.

“Of course, I’ll be happy.” I’m marrying him, what more could I want?

“Hey Timmy,” a familiar voice greeted him before he was assaulted by Danny’s carefree grin.

“Hey Danny,” Tim grinned at him. “What are you doing here? I thought you weren’t free until next week.”

“I can multitask,” Danny shrugged before he plopped himself to the nearest seat next to Tim. “So what are you working on?”

“Helping out with Lucius, you know how it goes. My assistant let you in?”

“Hmm.”

“It’s been a while,” Tim mused, eyes scanning the document. Wait, since when did they change the proposal? That wasn’t what he had heard earlier. “You barely visit me these days.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault your family loves me,” Danny winked at him. Well, he’s not wrong. Dick and Damian adored Danny (well the demon brat had always demanded Danny’s attention whenever he visited). Steph loved the memes. Cass and Danny have some weird cat-and-mouse game going on. And last Tim had heard, Danny and Jason have had a good working and professional relationship these past few months, Tim wouldn’t be surprised if Jason started to see Danny as his little brother after everything. And don’t get him started on Bruce.

Tim liked to consider himself a very close friend of Danny’s after all that shenanigans. It was impossible not to like him. Danny just...gets it.  

Whenever Tim decided to open up about some of his past adventures, Danny wholeheartedly agreed with him. His friend knew the exact words to say that would make Tim sigh in relief because people had told him that he’s not really an easy person to get emotionally, but Danny understood. He’d have that look on his face that told him he had experienced something similar. So lost and haunted.

It sort of made sense from what I heard, Tim mused.

“Just give me a few minutes. I’m this close.” He may also need to make a phone call on why this concept paper was revised.

Tim could hear Danny rolling his eyes behind him. “I’ll just go hang out with your ex, then.”

“Please don’t.”

Danny looked mischievous as he got up. “Bye-bye!”

“Stop hanging out with my exes, Danny!”

“Oh look! It’s Tamara!”

“Dammit, Danny!”

All he could hear was the sound of cackling. It made his heart flutter.

“Feeling nervous?” Bruce asked, just waiting outside the huge door. Outside of that would be a grand staircase leading down to the altar.

“I’m kind of worried about screwing up the ceremony,” Tim admitted. The many times he had to throw away his draft, constantly scratching out the words that just didn’t sound right. For as confident as Tim usually was, he was a mess when it came to feelings. There were no words to express how much he had felt for the love of his life.

“Are you sure about this?” Something about that tone made Tim look at Bruce, his gaze heavier and more serious than ever. “It’s a big commitment.” His gaze then went distant, as if lost in his own memories.

Tim suddenly remembered an image of a heartbroken Bruce standing at the altar, clenching a piece of paper in one hand that held Selina’s last message. The wedding was called off after that and the whole family never spoke of that incident again.

“I trust him,” Tim said confidently. “There’s no one else who I would rather be with than him.”

Bruce nodded hesitantly before approaching him with the blindfold. “Just so you know, I’m so proud of you. Happy for you,” And there was emotion there that Tim couldn’t help but smile, almost flattered because he knew Bruce was emotionally constipated yet he tried to convey the emotions that were said there. His communication skills were improving after all with that amount of therapy.

“I’m ready to get married.”

Today will be perfect no matter how it turned out.

Tim stared up through the night, his arms folded onto his chest. Contrary to the popular belief, he does take occasional breaks to be able to take a step back and think out the mystery in front of him. Not swallow a ton of espresso shots just to be able to connect certain dots of certain scenes and details. Today, the mystery lies in the matter of his heart.

His thoughts had managed to be at a complete standstill and traveling at the speed of light all at once as he examined each certain piece of evidence that was brought into his consciousness. Images of the past few months had been constantly assaulting him, always at the back of his mind after days (and nights) of work. Danny with that crooked grin of his that told Tim that his friend was ready with a quip or a pun of two. His laugh as he joked about his day-to-day shenanigans at work or something that happened with his friends, a life that Tim almost craved for that kind of normalcy. The way he rubbed the back of his neck whenever he was nervous. The way the corner of his lips quirked upwards…

The images of his friend would speed through his mind until it reached the moment when Danny’s hand brushed against his that sent a cold bolt down his spine, shivering from that sensation as his heart pounded from his friend’s proximity.

Tim wasn’t a trained detective for nothing. Steph might say that he wouldn’t know his feelings until it was smacked into his face, but he knew he had feelings for his friend, Danny. Probably for a very long while. It wasn’t hard to see why. Danny was cute, funny, and such a dork when it came to space, someone who can also keep up with Tim’s rambles, always listening and adding his input or two that always left Tim’s mind reeling on how he didn’t see that solution before while Danny cackled in the background, teasing Tim how he must have missed his coffee or two.

Coffee may be temporary. But Danny was his stability to his insanity. 

Now the question was, what would Tim do about that? Did he want to risk his friendship with Danny for just a chance between them?

Because Tim was sure there was something between them. Something growing. A potential that was awaiting to burst, and if Tim dared spoke the words as blue electric eyes meet his, the way they seemed to orbit around one another whenever they were in the same room. It was like a spark that would only alight if Tim said the forbidden words, the only barrier that was keeping the sanity of their friendship. There would be no turning back if he opened his mouth.

Either way, it would end in a catastrophe, but whether it was a good kind or not was hard to say because Tim never could truly piece together what was going on in Danny’s head. Always a mystery waiting to be solved. His friend always had been that way before they met, and now Tim had to ponder if Danny felt the same way Tim did about him.

When Tim took off his blindfold, he had to blink a couple of times at the black spots before his vision cleared as the familiar bridal march music faded to something soft and sweet. He couldn’t help but be caught off guard, his mouth dropping open at how grand this room was as he stood right at the altar, feeling small for a moment.

The girls had really done it. They had settled for an old gothic-style church because it was quite traditional for a Gothamite. Plus the joke about Tim’s family being full of bats, it made sense, and create an eerie feeling when you consider the style of the architecture.

Despite that, the girls made the décor more rustic with a spray of flowers on the altar and warm, natural lighting with candles interspersed throughout the church. There were several fake curved tree branches in every corner of the room. Small vases filled with pearly white flowers were attached to the ends of each pew, the color of it matching the scheme the girls had planned.

Tim didn’t want a forest-style wedding after all his encounters with Ivy. Tim and his partner agreed to keep it simple as long as there were no roses because that’s just a tad dramatic, thankfully Cass and Barbara had some vintage style incorporated to keep it classic and unique.

The sound of footsteps interrupted his thoughts. Tim could feel his own cheeks reddening at how distracted he was (he can already hear the sound of Steph snickering in the background) when he was supposed to focus on the most important person today.

And when Tim turned around, the sight in front of him banished all thoughts of the decorations, his family, and the nauseated feeling that has been dipping in his stomach ever since today. It was taking his ability to breathe with it because Tim never realized how much tension he was carrying until blue eyes met his.

Tim only had eyes for one man.

“I hate weddings,” Danny admitted.

Tim, who was so relaxed resting on Danny’s lap, blinked in surprise at his boyfriend’s words. “Do you have something against weddings?” he mused. Though a part of him wondered – what about our wedding? It was stupid for Tim to think ahead, but he already thought Danny was It. He can’t imagine anyone else who he would spend the rest of his life with.

Danny’s face twisted as if he had bitten a lemon. “Many things. One of them is I can’t stand crying.”

Tim laughed, relieved. “Happy tears, babe.”

His boyfriend only just rolled his eyes.

“It’s just awkward,” There was that whiney tone that Tim couldn’t help but quirk his eyebrow, questioning. “Do you have any idea why I hate wearing a tuxedo? It’s because bad things always happen whenever I wear it.”

The way Danny complained made Tim burst out of laughter. His boyfriend pouted. “You don’t get it.”

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, I’ll be sure to remember. Note to self, Danny should never ever wear a suit.” But it had Tim now thinking. He frowned thoughtfully.

“Exactly.” Danny snapped his fingers.

“Hmm.”

Something about his tone must have made Danny’s gaze more intense because he said, “I just have a problem with weddings, babe. Not marriage. Big difference,” Danny bopped his nose with a teasing smile. Tim’s heart warmed at the look.

Tim nuzzled closer to Danny’s stomach. He just wanted to fade into the night, forget everything. The world could die and everything may lie, but he’ll just rest in Danny’s arms, letting the time pass, and making it longer than it’ll last. Tim will happily stay by his side, hopefully, Danny will stay with him forever.

“Can I fall in love one more time?” Tim said, almost dazedly.

“Sure. Sure.” How did Tim land with the most amazing person he knew? The way Danny didn’t seem to stop looking at him with such affection. It made Tim give what was sure a toothy grin that had Danny chuckling in amusement before he started combing through his hair, “Whatever you say.”

“Welcome, loved ones.” The officiant began. “Today is a wonderful celebration. A day full of love, commitment, and happiness. We are here today to watch these two people who are in it for love, to acknowledge their union, and to support their commitment—a commitment that is for the good times and the hard times that they will face together.

“And so we wish for them such goodwill towards one another, and such strong support from others, that with mutual respect and patience, they may turn every crisis and challenge as they go down life's path, into an opportunity for renewal and growth. May your love grow stronger and bind you closer together through the years, beginning with a promise. A vow.”

“Everything was magical. I know, it sounds cheesy but it’s true. It was a perfect day. A perfect wedding. And he was there, so perfect. And I was a happy groom. I thought nothing would go wrong, everything would just fall into place.”

Tim paused. The pain and hurt were bubbling on the surface. The betrayal. The trust. The promise. He could feel the way his chest shaking, almost hiccupping, but he can’t. He just pushed it down and continued:

“I was wrong. After that, he left. I was just hiding behind the altar. And I cried and cried. My family tried to tell me that we should leave, but I refused. I didn’t want to go. I just wanted to stay there. I wanted to wait for him. I said to them ‘He’s gonna come back. He won’t do this to me'. But I was wrong again.” Tim took a deep breath, trying to keep the tears at the bay, but even the mention of what was supposed to be the best day of his life was the worst.

"What I couldn't understand was - why did he abandon me at the altar? Why on our wedding day?" Tim continued.

“Have I ever mentioned how much I completely adore you?” Danny grinned at him, his blue eyes sparkling with light.

Tim chuckled before tucking himself in his fiancé’s arms. “Since we first met?”

“Hey! That’s actually not true.”

“I was your favorite Robin before we officially met, admit it.” Tim teased him.

Danny pouted. “Okay, you’re right. I’m officially yours.”

“And you’re mine.”

“Till death do us part.”

“Stop that, Danny! I don’t want to hear your dead sense of humor. It’s already bad enough with the puns. I don’t need you to be like Jason.”

"You mean my killer sense of humor--"

"DANNY!"

“What? It’s true. Well…okay, maybe half true—“

Tim groaned.

“—But it just means that I can never leave you. That’s a promise.”

“To not leave me?” Tim could hear how hopeful he sounded, but he didn’t care.”

“Yup. I promise to never leave you.”

That pushed a surge of want for this amazing man Tim had, cupping both his cheeks to give him a kiss, conveying how much want and love he had for him.

Danny, meanwhile, looked dazed. That gave Tim a sense of satisfaction that he did that. “Wow,” he breathed.

"I don't want you to enter my life if you have no intention of staying forever, Danny," Tim spat.

Danny's eyes watered. "Tim—“

"Can you make that promise? Can you even promise not to break it?" To not break my heart like that.

“I promise.”

Yet it sounded like a lie in Tim's ears, no matter how much his heart ached to believe in it.

"Don't make promises when you can't keep them." Tim bitterly said, glaring at him through the tears. "I want to know - where does being real stop, every time you mention that you love me? I was who you needed but not who you loved."

“It wasn’t a lie,” Danny said softly. “It was real between us.”

“You can see that they are really perfect for each other that you can say it's a shame, but at the same time you can also think that maybe in the eyes of both of them, they are not compatible, that they are suffocated not only in their relationship but in things outside of their relationship,” Stephanie said to Bernard, two of them just casually in their hangout spot at the café, waiting for Tim.

It was the spot where Tim and Danny would also hang out together. The image of Danny laughing in that empty spot next to Stephanie, with Bernard chuckling in the background while Tim would hopelessly try to get Danny’s attention sent a pang of hurt in his chest. When he blinked, the spot was empty.

“I really thought Tim and Danny were endgame,” Steph continued, her eyes going distant.

Tim clenched his teeth before turning away from them. He did not need to hear his exes talking about Danny.

"I'm smart, I know that, yet I'm not smart enough to not have problems," Tim said bitterly. "I hate him. I hate him because I don't know how to exist without him now.” He took a piece of him from me, and now there’s a hole that can't be filled without him. I hate him for that.

“He ruined me. And I hate myself that I still long for him.”

There was a sound of agreement next to him, so Tim continued, letting all that bitterness and resentment:

“People should be true to their words. Let go and tell the person that you don't feel the same way anymore or you fell out of love. Don't make someone hope for something that you know you're not sure about. Don't leave the person hanging or without any explanation because they will question their worth and will develop trust issues with anyone they'll meet in the future. Lastly, don't make promises when you can't keep them.”

“Will you marry me?”

Danny seemed taken aback, blinking rapidly.

Tim was nervous. More nervous at Danny’s reaction and words than the pain of one knee on the ground as he held out a ring in front of his boyfriend.

“What?” was all Danny seemed to be able to say after a few moments.

All that nerves that he had been holding in just drained away at Danny’s look, Tim internally rolled his eyes as a rush of affection for his absent-minded boyfriend washed over him. “I said: Will you marry me?”

Danny’s mouth opened and closed a couple of times, with his one hand up as if to make a point before lowering it. Tim tried to be patient. The anticipation killing him.

“…YES!”

And then heavyweight was slammed against Tim, knocking him to the ground as warm arms wrapped around him. Yet Tim couldn’t help but laugh, full of joy and relief, clinging onto Danny who seemed to be shaking in his arms. “Are you crying?” he teased.

“You know I hate crying!” Danny quickly denied it, yet Tim could hear the sound of his boyfriend's hiccups. Wow, Tim really did that. “

“Whatever you say, Danny.” Tim smiled before he buried his nose into his fiancé’s hair. “Whatever you say.”

"He was the plan," Tim admitted. "I thought he was It. I gave him everything to make him happy. I was supposed to be a detective but how did I not notice that he no longer wanted this?"

"It's not your fault."

"I should have known whenever I am in his arms, someone else was on his mind."

“Have you ever cheated before?” Tim said distractedly. The wire here wasn’t right. The urge for a cheat sheet was getting closer and closer. Why did he accept this task again? Oh right, because apparently, he had been rusty, according to Barbara’s standards. He took a moment to glance at his fiancé’s back.

Danny's hand was frozen mid-air, the pile of paperwork he has been working on now forgotten before his mind seemed to reboot itself as he shook his head. “Yeah,” he said tightly, gripping the pen. 

Tim’s eyebrow rose in surprise. “Really?”

“…on a test. What high school student hasn’t cheated on an exam before?”

Tim’s brows furrowed. “Why would you need to cheat? You’re smart.” He doesn’t remember that record on Wayne Enterprise’s database on the employee selection.

“Did I not tell you this story before? I’m pretty sure I told your brothers about it,” Danny mused.

Tim blinked. “Should I ask?” Because even his distracted mind caught onto the way his boyfriend looked uncomfortable and guilty at the topic. He was tempted to press further because he liked to know everything, but he also didn’t want to drive his fiancé away because it didn’t look like a happy memory the way Danny’s jaw clenched together.

It was a while before Danny sighed deeply. “Pulled my shit together thankfully. It was CAT,” He shrugged. “I don’t think I ever explained that part of my life really sucked.”

“Hmm.” What a normal thing for students to usually worry about. Tim almost wished he could worry if he had flunked out exams with his nighttime life back when he was a teen, but Tim usually knew the topics even though he had been absent on those days.

He just returned back to his work. “You don’t need a cheat sheet. You’re pretty amazing and above that.” It was actually hard to imagine his fiancé ever doing something that seemed trivially normal.

“…yeah. I’m better than that.”

Tim’s heart stuttered. Face flaming and eyes going wide, he couldn’t help drinking at the sight of those lean muscles. The way his mouth had gone dry at the sight of Danny, who blushed when he noticed his stare as he shut the bathroom door behind him, fresh from a shower.

“Like what you see?” Danny teased him, before straddling his legs, plopping himself in his lap before Tim could squeak out in surprise at the bold intimate move. Tim instinctually held his boyfriend’s waist as Danny cupped his cheeks.

“Not that I’m complaining,” Tim could feel his mouth dry, the way Danny’s hair was still dripping in water that landed on his shirt. The wet towel wrapped around his boyfriend’s hips was pressed against his dry clothes, making Tim more hyperaware of their proximity, especially the way Danny was pressed against his lap dangerously whenever he shifted. Oh, he was in serious trouble.

“Danny!” Tim could hear his own voice trailing up in the pitch, his own fingers brushing against the edges of the towel.

Before he could even tear it or trail his fingers on the inside, Danny slapped his fingers away. He tutted him in a mocking manner. “No.”

Tim glared at him at the unfairness. Seriously? Danny wanted to tease him? At this moment while he’s wearing only a towel?

Danny smirked as if satisfied at his reaction before his face turned serious, and said, “Are you sure about this, Tim?”

Tim nodded without hesitation, giving his boyfriend all the permission he needed before Danny started purring at him, his fingers smoothening across his chest. Tim’s face burst into flame, his mouth dropping open as warm breath puffed against his face before Danny’s fingers started slipping down to his neck. It sent a tingle down his spine as searing blue eyes met his.

Soft lips brushed over his forehead, surprising Tim because he thought it would be getting steamy between the two of them, but the way Danny looked at him now, so tender and gentle. It made Tim’s insides warm, bursting with love for this man in front of him. Sure, sex would be great, but it was these soft moments that reminded Tim why fell in love with Danny in the first place. Because Danny was always there, taking care of him like he was something precious and fragile. As if I’m someone worth caring for.

Danny started delivering a series of gentle kisses all over his face. To both of his cheeks. His eyebrows. His nose. As if thankful for each of Tim’s features. “You’re beautiful, you know that?” Danny breathed.

It made his heart thump hard at how adoring Danny looked at him. Tim licked his lips, “O-of c-course,” he stuttered. Then he internally cursed at himself for being a stuttered mess.

Danny frowned. “You are,” he insisted, his fingers curling at the nape of his neck, which made Tim’s ears burn red because of how ticklish the area was. “Inside and out. Smart. Brilliant. Compassionate. Sweet. And such a dork,” he chuckled before his expression turned fond at him. “Mine.”

Tim could feel his lips turn into an eat-shitting grin at how his boyfriend turned possessive. “Definitely yours.” He happily said.

Danny’s face lit up before he surged forward and sealed his mouth against his. The touch of his lips, the warmth of his breath, tongues dancing. He could feel the curve of Danny’s lips moving upwards. When Tim pulled back to take a deep breath, he saw those blue eyes darkened with desire. Oh knew EXACTLY what he was doing.

“Wanna help me out in the bedroom?” Danny said huskily into his ear.

Tim didn’t even need to think before he wrapped his arms around his boyfriend, who instinctually wrapped his legs around his waist, to stand up before taking his boyfriend right into the bedroom.

“You never left in my head. You never left in my mind, yet I see you in someone else’s arms that I couldn’t help but cry. The image is never going to leave me now.”

If you love secretly, you will also be hurt secretly. Tim had heard those words before. And perhaps they were right all along. Though he can’t really be secretly hurt when it was done publicly. You can be someone's Prologue, but in the end, you're just a chapter of the book, not the epilogue.

And the only person I can trust is myself.

“Are you okay?” There was a sound of shuffling before there was a heavyweight next to him on the couch. Then there was that warmth arm wrapped around him. Tim allowed himself to lean against Danny, practically exhausted.

“Hey, Danny?”

“Yes?”

“Can you promise that we won’t be like my parents?” Tim softly said as he stared at the photograph of his parents. Three of them together before they started going on trips for some archeology dig. Abandoning him. Danny must have followed his gaze because he tightened his arm around him.

“I promise that we’ll never make your parents’ mistakes.” Then Tim felt a brush of his lips on his forehead.

Tim couldn’t help but relax at how those words sounded real. He had braced for something worse because it was all he had ever known, the people that had left him in the past, yet he was surprised that was what Danny had chosen to say.

And those were all the words Tim needed to hear as he closed his eyes, allowing himself to be lulled into that familiar scent. That smelled like Home.

“Our marriage would have been infidelity. I would have probably paced back and forth in the living room on a desolate Friday night, wondering: Is this how I am going to spend my miserable nights? Waiting for you to wake up and realize that you made a mistake? I would have been married to someone who is unfaithful to me. I’d spend too much time hoping for you to realize that I’m here in front of you, living in denial because living without is unacceptable. I would have tried to fix it. Fix us. But…it takes two people to make a relationship work. You wouldn’t help. You wouldn’t try. I would have been all alone, pretending you didn’t do that to me while making plans for us. But…that hope would have killed me.”

“Tim—“

“You could have just told me that your love was gone.” It would hurt, but it would be so much bearable than this. “I guess I should thank you for walking out of our wedding. Thank you for saving me.”

“Yes he was, but I had other things on my mind,” Danny admitted. “I think that might have hurt him. But it had nothing to do with him.”

Tim was holding his breath, anticipation eating him. He was tempted to peek in, just so he could see Danny’s expression, but he couldn’t because that would have given away his presence.

“Tim is hurt,” Steph said. “I don’t know why, just that you’ve been hiding something from him.

He could hear Danny taking a deep breath before he said steely, “Believe me, Steph. I don’t want to hurt him. I love him.”

It had Tim’s heart pounding, in anticipation and relief at those words. Maybe it wasn’t too late.

They can still fix this.

A flood of emotions rushed into him. There was pain and anger. Disappointment and sadness. But what surprised Tim most of all: hope.

Tim shouldn’t. His past experience taught him it would happen. That Danny would hurt him. And Tim would be left not knowing what was real between them. He wasn’t sure he could ever bring himself to believe Danny. The darkest part of his mind whispered that to him.

But Tim was sure it would be okay.

“I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I got tired. I’m sorry that I disappeared. I felt scared because I couldn’t find you anywhere. I gave you everything. I gave you everything, but I feel all my strength just emptied. I’m sorry that I hurt you.”

“Sorry,” Tim said quietly, downcast before he took the courage to look up and meet those saddened eyes. Regret was there, not at the deed, just that Tim was hurt by his actions. Maybe sorry that Tim had to find out that way.

It had taken months for Tim to try to understand. All those lonely nights, crying to his pillow, always asking what had he done to deserve this kind of pain?

Even though his ex-fiancé’ ghosted him, cutting off every single contact, Tim wasn’t bat trained for nothing as he managed to hack into his phone and uncover the lies and secrets that his other half had been hiding from him all along.

And it was only today that the two broken lovers finally met again. The last time Tim had seen him was when his ex-fiancé left him at the altar.

“I’m sorry that I wasn’t there when you needed me the most,” Tim said. He, unfortunately, had to be better at this. A better person, even though a part of him screamed to not listen to his ex. That his ex didn’t deserve his time and attention when Tim had begged for it all those months. Was it that easy for you to replace me with someone else? “I’m sorry if I wasn’t there when you needed someone to hold onto. I’m sorry if I didn’t protect you. I didn’t even get to protect you.”

There was a pause before his ex-fiancé’ said:

“I was scared. I was so scared. But I wanted to be there. I wanted to be there when you were hurting. But I wasn’t. Maybe because I was slowly beginning to understand we weren’t for each other…We tried, right? We gave it our best fight, right?”

“…We tried.” Tim nodded after a moment. “I want to thank you for all the memories you gave me. We may not have been able to do all the things we used to dream about together, but the life we shared is enough for me. I’m happy you’re happy.” It still left a bitter feeling on his tongue, but he pushed it down and continued onward.

“I want you to be happy too. Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

It was the way his ex looked at him that Tim was surprised at the words that left his own mouth, “I want you to know that I forgive you.”

Tim just can’t forget. And that’s not going to be easy, but he’s tired of all those self-loathing and self-doubts he had for months, destroying everything inside of him. He’s tired of crying. He’s tired of being angry. He’s tired of questioning everyone’s trust and wondering if they would one day abandon him.

It wasn’t who he was supposed to be. Tim didn’t like the person he become in the aftermath. He needed to forgive. And it was only for himself, not for the one who broke his heart. Tim was really exhausted from putting other people first before himself.

It’s time to stop thinking of his ex-fiancé.

Tim wanted to think of himself, for once.

Because sometimes, you just have to let things go so there’s room for better things to come into your life.

“I forgive you, too.”

“I need to go. Take care of yourself, Bernard.” That was all Tim can offer before turning away, not looking back as he walked down the desolate street.

Tim should be angry when he spotted Danny in the crowd at his wedding. But he wasn’t, only surprised and more weariness, hunching his shoulders. Great.

“What are you doing here?”

“Bernard invited me,” Danny said. Of course. Steph and Bernard were Danny’s friends as well, and Tim didn’t really bother paying attention to the wedding invites. Danny’s eyes looked almost mournful. “I’m sorry about the wedding.”

Tim could only nod as he wiped his face with one hand. He didn’t really want to talk about it, not when the raw feelings were still there, that sting of betrayal Bernard left him. 

He hadn’t seen Danny in so long, not since their breakup. Of course, his ex had to be here on the worst day of his life. It was irrational because he knew Danny was still on good terms with everyone but Tim, it was hard not to be in the superhero community, especially with Danny helping with his brothers and sometimes Bruce on certain occasions. Though probably because his family deliberately chose not to mention his ex around him.

And weirdly, Danny still looked good. Years had made his ex seem kinder and healthier, which was sort of unfair because Tim was sure he didn’t look great post-breakup before. It was then Tim noticed that Danny was wearing a black suit. A tinge of amusement flickered in his chest, recalling Danny’s past complaints about how the suit always seemed to bring bad luck.

Danny seemed to notice his look as he rolled his eyes before he leaned against the doorway in a casual manner, both hands in his pockets, “Yes, I know. The suit.”

Tuxedo looks good on you, Danny. Tim wryly thought. Then he caught Damian’s questioning look in the distance, his head nodding in Danny’s direction. Tim shook his head, he got this anyway.

He turned his attention back to Danny’s curious eyes.

“Oh, look at me.” Tim shook his head. Pathetic. “Sorry, it wasn’t a great wedding.”

Danny gave him a crooked grin. “I hate weddings anyway.”

Tim couldn’t help but chuckle, recalling that. “Yeah. I know.” I remember.

“You’re crying.”

So much for tact. “Thanks, Danny,” Tim dryly said.

“Sorry,” Danny at least looked sheepish. “I just hate seeing you cry.”

Tim could feel his heart stopping for a moment before it pounded in his ears, recalling the moment.

“Danny was the one who got away,” Tim said to Steph, eyes staring into the distance. It was only a few months since he and Danny broke up, and the pain still never left him. He doubted time could heal this particular pain. Not when it came from him.

“The sad thing was…I got used to him. Used to being loved by him. I like being with him. He was someone who hated seeing me cry. He made me forget that I was more than just Red Robin. CEO Tim Drake-Wayne. Third Robin. Leader of Young Justice. I’m just…Tim Drake to him, you know. Made me feel like me. I didn’t have to work for it. It’s just easy with him.”

He didn’t make me feel like I was being replaced. A replacement.

“Tim—“

“No, listen to me, Steph. I love you guys, really, but you all have busy lives. All I had was Danny, someone I can turn to whenever things get rough. I didn’t have to be alone.”

I didn’t have to survive alone.

“Now I don’t know what to do.” Tim sighed deeply. His heart still aching for one man, but—“I can’t force Danny to stay if he doesn’t want to. Maybe I was overthinking this whole thing and let it get between us.”

“It’s not overthinking if you had gotten hurt in the past,” Steph said, her gaze never wavering. “That’s not something you can just easily brush over. Your feelings are valid, Tim. You guys just...need to communicate better.”

“What we needed was trust,” Tim countered. He can’t deny there’s a part of him hoping that Danny would come back, but there’s also a lingering resentment that told Tim that it was better this way if it was that easy for Danny to just let go of the years they had together. Just so easy while Tim was suffering.

Was I that easy to forget? Was I that easy to move on?

Things became tense between Tim and Danny. Tim would immediately get suspicious whenever Danny became so secretive, no matter how much he tried to press him for answers. And Danny would immediately become frustrated at him with all the questions.

Didn’t Danny know Tim liked to know everything? He’s a detective for crying out loud, and after he eavesdropped on Danny and Steph’s conversation earlier. Danny had admitted that he had something on his mind, but what? What was it? Because Tim had been waiting for Danny to say it. But his fiance didn't say anything.

So he hacked into his fiancé’s phone and tracked his location. Tim tried to hide, really he did, but Danny of course immediately spotted him. His face thundering as he stormed outside to meet him, fists clenching at his side.

“What is your problem?” Danny shouted, eyes blazing in fury.

Like hell he had the right to be angry, Tim fumed. “I just want to know what’s going on with you, Danny! I’ve been patient. I’ve been waiting. Yet no matter how much I ask, you just shut down.”

“Maybe because it’s my own goddamn business, Drake.” Danny spat. “What the hell? You hacked my phone, didn’t you?”

“You haven’t been home lately. You always come up late, busy as ever.”

“That’s because I have work!” Danny sounded exasperated, throwing his arms up.

“It’s not just that,” Tim shook his head. “You’ve been distant.” And he hated he sounded vulnerable. “Acting all shifty. You’ve been pulling away, Danny. When was the last time we’ve gone on a date together? It’s been weeks.”

Danny’s mouth was agape in disbelief. “Tim, you have been busy much more than I ever was. What the hell?”

Maybe those words just triggered Tim’s mouth, maybe it was because he allowed himself to be vulnerable for one moment and that was all Danny had to say that made him spit out the words before he could think about it. “Is this some kind of payback?”

Danny looked as if Tim had stabbed him.

Tim hesitated, internally cursing at himself, as he swallowed his pride, “I just want to know what’s going on, Danny.” he said softly.

Then Danny’s eyes hardened. “Do you wanna know why? It’s because I’ve been planning a fucking surprise for you, Tim.”

Tim blinked.

“Yes, a surprise,” Danny hissed, frustrated. “How was I going to hide that from the person who has been trained by the World’s Greatest Fucking Detective. Maybe I was distant, but I have off days, Tim, there is nothing wrong with that! What the fuck, Tim?”

Tim glanced over Danny’s shoulder and was surprised to see the store Danny had entered was a Photography store. He could even spot vintage cameras that Tim had been eyeing for months behind those glass-pane windows. The guilt gnawed in his chest, realizing what he had done. Oh, I fucked up.

Danny pinched the bridge of his nose. “Tim, babe, I love you, but you are really testing my patience and limits.”

Tim bit his lip.

“Do you not trust me, Tim?”

“Of course I did!” Tim quickly shook his head, taking both of Danny’s hands.

“…did?”

Tim could feel his heart stop as he mentally backtracks what he said. Why did I say that?

And the way Danny looked at him, so crushed and heartbroken. It made Tim swallow as Danny pulled away from him, confused.

Why did I say that? Don’t I trust him?

It hadn’t taken long before Danny called off their engagement, citing that he was hurt that Tim just couldn’t bring himself to trust him when similar occurrences happened after that.

Tim tried, really he did, but there was always a part of him double-checking everything Danny did. Maybe it had come from a place where Tim had been abandoned by a lot of people he had trusted, which was why Tim always hovered over Danny’s shoulder. That fear in his heart, the need to know where, what, and hows of Danny’s goings, no matter how much Tim tried to rationalize himself.

It still wasn’t enough. They didn’t fix their relationship.

Please don’t leave me. Please stay.

Those were the words he’d always said to himself whenever his parents left him in the house. Those were the words he’d said when Bruce ‘died’. Conner. Bart. His dad. Those were the words he said when Dick took Robin away from him, turning his attention to a smirking Damian.

It’s always those words when Tim needed help the most. At his lowest and most vulnerable. No matter how many times he conveyed the emotion through those words, hoping the person he was speaking to heard him and would listen to him. But they never look back. And they never did.

He’s chanting those words in his head as Danny turned his back away, heart sinking in with disappointment when Danny did what others did to him. Just the same.

Breaking promises.

Steph was a godsend. Tim would have just called off the wedding and gone home, have a breakdown, and cry himself to sleep, but she cheerfully (rather forcefully) insisted the wedding reception would be a waste after all that planning.

Tim couldn’t see how he could be happy after being left on the altar, and at least his brothers agreed with him there. But the girls had all teamed up against them and they were forced to concede to that.

Everyone was trying to keep the atmosphere light as Tim was forcefully dragged to the reception room. He ignored the pitying looks, had shrugged off their words and apologies. He would rather be left alone, but everyone at this point was a force to be a reckon, pretending everything was okay when it was not.

There were round tables covered in silk strewn with confetti, with some kind of green shrubbery as the centerpieces. Streamers and banners hung across the room, strings of lights, artificial plants, and candles decorated around him, and a dance floor was right in the middle of the room. There was a separate table for the wedding couple (which Tim grimaced). A table piled with gifts, envelopes, and some souvenirs that he and Bernard had chosen.

There was already a crowd heading towards a bar with a bartender. Waiters moving around the room, holding trays of appetizers or drinks. A couple of guests has kicked off their heels or threw their jackets hanging on the back of the chairs, everyone seemed blissfully happy.

Except for Tim.

“Valentine’s Day,” Tim scoffed when a familiar presence joined his side. “Everyone out there is celebrating this day with their significant other…not everyone is receiving fancy gifts, roses, long sweet messages. Some are alone, some are in the process of moving on, letting go, healing, and some had to try and fix the pieces left in our broken hearts." Why did he allow Bernard to convince him to have their wedding on Valentine's Day?

“That’s a weird thing to say, coming from you,” Danny remarked.

“I'm done with those; regrets are an excuse for people who have failed,” Tim said, staring into the distance.

“Sometimes you make choices in life and sometimes choices make you,” Danny finally said. “You know...I wasn’t sure. Jazz told me that coming back to you would be too painful, that maybe it would be easier for you to erase us.”

Tim just shook his head. He didn’t need to hear that shit. “It was a long time ago.”

And then there was that familiar music that started to play.

It's gonna take a lot to drag me away from you
There's nothing that a hundred men or more could ever do
I bless the rains down in Africa
Gonna take some time to do the things we never had 

A wave of nostalgia washed over him. A song that he and Danny used to adore before they dated: ‘Africa’ by Toto.

It seemed Danny remembered as well because he held out his hand towards him and said:

“Can we go back to the night we met?”

Just so we can forget? Tim’s eyes said. But he still nodded as he allowed himself to be pulled into Danny’s arms, swaying to the music.

He remembered that fleeting night when he was so tired from all the work he pulled into his office. The aroma of roasted coffee awoken him from his slumber, the only warmth he had from that cold that night. The taste of hazelnut that reminded him of home, so comforting, just left in front of his desk. Like a simple gesture.

For just one moment, Tim can forget the wounds and let himself remember why he loved this feeling.

It was a distant memory; the way Danny had swept him off his feet. And for the first time, Tim felt peace.

As Tim continued walking, leaving Bernard’s betrayal and pain behind him with a strength he didn’t know he had, but some things just weren’t the best for him. Sometimes, Tim just needed a bit of patience with himself to be able to understand the things he truly deserved should be the things that made him happy, not cause him to hurt.

His blue eyes met icy blue ones across the street, just waiting for him with one hand holding an umbrella as the rain started to drizzle around them.

“Hey,” Danny murmured, his eyes full of concern with one hand reaching out to him almost hesitantly. “You okay?”

It hadn’t been easy. Carrying that anger and pain, after going through that honeymoon alone (because Steph said so it’s a waste). He arrived back in Gotham, with Danny just waiting for him at the airport.

For some reason after the failed wedding, Danny had chosen to stay with him, comforting him, and giving him space no matter how many tantrums Tim threw at him.

"I don't want you to enter my life if you have no intention of staying forever, Danny.”

Yet Danny still stayed.

It was much easier to focus on the old wounds than the fresh betrayal that stung in his mind, even though Tim had long ago let go of that chapter of his life.

It never deterred Danny, always prepared to handle his trust issues. It seemed years had made his ex more mellowed, more patient (and stubborn) than before. In the end, Tim always ended up sinking to the floor, tears flooding down his face before that familiar warmth arms were wrapped around him. And Tim just instinctually clung to that comforting presence, never letting go.

“…I will be.” Tim finally said, allowing Danny’s touches, almost leaning toward it actually.

“Promise?”

Tim smiled, his heart fluttering at the familiar words. This time, without a doubt, he said:

“Promise.”