Work Text:
Tim Drake was not a good Robin.
This could be put with a thousand other fundamental truths, and still it would stand the most true of all.
The sky was blue, his parents were dead and Tim Drake was not a good Robin.
He wasn’t like Dick, where Robin was fun
He wasn’t like Jason, where Robin was Magic
He wasn’t like Damian, to whom Robin was his birthright.
Tim Drake was glue.
Tim Drake’s Robin was an amalgamation made to keep everything together, something to draw Dick to the manor again, something to keep Batman going.
Tim didn’t belong there. He was reminded of it every time that B or Dick called him Jason and got angry or upset when he corrected them (Eventually he just didn’t correct them anymore), he knew it in the way everyone forgave Jason for what he did to Tim as soon as he arrived back at the manor even though he still flinched around the man.
Tim knew he didn’t belong when no one listened to a word he’d say about Bruce still being alive, just stuck in the timestream.
Tim knew he didn’t belong when no one noticed his medical files updated to explain he didn’t have a spleen anymore and had to take antibiotics.
Tim Drake was never supposed to be Robin.
He took on the name Red Robin, but he knew that too would never be his.
Tim Drake was not supposed to be Robin.
He fought for the family over and over until it was done, until the family was healed enough glue wasn’t needed anymore.]
And still, some selfish part of him wanted to stay.
He shouldn’t, his role was done, he wasn’t needed anymore. But oh— how he’d miss them.
How he would miss Alfred and his cookies and everlasting patience, how he’d miss Bruce and his hugs and the little hums he’d let out in lieu of words, how he’d miss Dick dragging him along for ice cream, how he’d miss sparring with Damian, Reading with Jason, competing with Steph and Cass, joking with Babs, racing with Duke…
Oh how he’d miss them all when he was back alone in Drake Manor.
Tim Drake was not a good Robin
A good Robing did what was best for the Batfamily.
So why couldn’t Tim just let go?
Tim Drake was not a good Robin.