Work Text:
The computer monitor seemed too bright, and Tim squinted to make out the words on it. Lethargically, he moved his fingers across the keyboard--almost letting out a tired groan the moment he misspelled a word. With finality, he pressed the backspace button three times.
“C’mon, Tim. You’re tired--you’ve got to sleep,” Bart insisted from behind him, his own voice dripping with exhaustion. To be fair--Tim checked the numbers inscribed at the bottom of the screen--it was four in the morning. He had school tomorrow. Same with Bart, actually.
“I have to finish this case, Bart. I promise I’ll go to bed after that,” Tim said, letting one hand reach for his coffee cup. Too late he realized that it was empty, the aching exhaustion coupled with weariness set into his bones.
“But that’s what you said an hour ago. You can finish it tomorrow--it’s just the case briefing, right?” Bart yawned, shifting a little on the bed, “C’mon. I’ll be so lonely without you--come curl up into my arms so I can feel whole again.”
Tim’s eye twitched, and he swiveled around. Bart was giving him a cheesy grin, even through his fatigued features--his hair tangled and bunched, and he was wearing Batman pajamas (part of a complete set of superhero pajamas Bart had decided to buy). Overall, he looked endearing, and Tim couldn’t help the overwhelming desire to just crawl into bed and pull Bart into a hug. Letting sleep overtake them both. But. There was work to be done.
“Are you trying to…. Seduce me into healthy sleeping patterns?” Tim crossed his arms, trying to appear affronted, but he was sure he was just coming across as stubborn. Bart raised an eyebrow at him, though his eyes glimmered with his optimistic air.
“Is it working?”
“No,” Tim swiftly turned, fingers immediately finding their places on the keyboard. But what the case was about--even what he had previously been saying--was gone from his memory, and rereading the previous sentences gave him no further insight. His brain just couldn’t handle focusing, and the words were blurry on the screen.
Knowing he wasn’t going to get anything done, as well as the fact that he hadn’t slept at all last night, finally made Tim give in. He sighed, before finally rising from his chair (trying to remain dignified as he stumbled, and Bart let out a snicker). He walked slowly to the bed, and the moment he got there, he fell face first into it.
Bart laughed, yet he gathered Tim in his arms--despite the extra few inches Tim had on him. Tim buried his face in Bart’s shoulder, letting the warmth seep into him and the smell of Bart’s hair ease him. Now that he was lying down--blankets cushioning him and hugging his boyfriend--it felt all too easy to drift off.
“I should be working,” Tim whispered into Bart’s shoulder, ignoring the way Bart laced his fingers through Tim’s hair (it had grown out some, and was no longer cropped short like when Bart had first met him). Tim let out a small groan, feeling his eyes fall closed.
“Sleep.”
Bart’s voice was airy and whispered. It was a trail of breath across Tim’s cheek, and he felt his mind descend into sleep--lulled by the soft beating of Bart’s heart, and the rise and fall of his chest. The smile that painted itself on his face, small as it was, was genuine. After a heavy sigh himself, he let sleep take him away.
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“Morning.”
Tim’s eyes slipped open, groaning as his body was shaken. Bart’s laughter echoed in his ear, and he curled into himself to fend off the horrible feeling of being awake.
“Timmy….Tim….Timbo…” Bart poked his face, and Tim burrowed farther under the blankets. Though, he let out a muffled laugh when Bart’s fingers darted to his sides, brushing over skin. Tim writhed for a couple moments, trapped at the mercy of Bart’s tickles.
“Stop! Stop…” Tim tried to push him away, legs tangled in the blankets. After a moment of struggling, throwing one arm off to the side and accidentally smacking Bart in the face. There was a muffled, “Ouch,” and the tickling stopped instantly.
Tim struggled to turn around, but the second he did, he immediately cupped Bart’s face in his hands and examined him. Bart seemed to glower at him jokingly.
“Are you okay?” Tim asked, tilting his head back and forth. Bart bit his lip, clearly holding back on laughing again.
“Dude, I’m more than okay. It was just an accident, and besides, I’ve had worse.”
“Still…” Tim didn’t move his hands, instead gazing at Bart’s face--soft angles and sparkling mint eyes. After a moment, he leaned down and pressed a kiss to Bart’s lips.
Bart immediately kissed back, looping his arms around Tim’s waist. His lips were soft, the faint taste of sugar and cinnamon. They moved slowly, chaste, and when they broke apart, the two just stared at each other contentedly.
“I love you, Tim.” Bart nuzzled into Tim’s shoulder, finally breaking the silence. Tim sighed contentedly, wrapping his arms around Bart’s back.
“I love you, too.”