Finding Hozho

* * * * *

Some sweaty, hazy time later, Tim nuzzled against Roy, looking more relaxed than Roy had ever seen. Eyes drooped half closed, Tim rubbed their cheeks together as Roy licked his neck.

Tim chuckled, lazily rubbing at the spot. "I've been slimed."

"You've been more than that," Roy said, wiggling his eyebrows.

Tim's soft smile was gorgeous. "I know."

Looking down, Roy ran the hand that wasn't pinned up and down Tim's back. "How you doing?"

"Hmm?"

He hesitated. "Are you, I mean, did you--"

Tim kissed him, just a light brush of their lips. "Are you asking if it was good for me?"

"Yeah, I guess so." Roy flushed, feeling faintly ridiculous, but...

"Roy?" Tim dragged his attention back with another kiss. "It was very good for me and I seem to recall you having a pretty good time too."

"Yeah." Roy continued to rub Tim's back. "There's just so much going on, I don't want to screw this up." "You"You won't." That was the serious Tim voice, one step away from Robin's voice.

"You've got a hell of a lot of confidence in me."

Tim pulled him close, burying his face in Roy's neck, lips tugging gently at his skin. "It would take both of us to screw this up. And that won't happen."

Roy drifted into a comforting half-doze, as Tim lay his head down on a pillow and closed his eyes. Every once in a while, he woke up enough to check that Tim was still there, and kiss him lightly on the face.

He glanced at the clock at one point, noting how late it was. "When do you need to get back to Gotham?" he whispered in Tim's ear.

"I don't have any early classes," Tim said, not opening his eyes but tensing up just a little.

Roy was confused by that reaction for a moment before realization dawned. "Stay the night?"

He'd guessed right and the tension drained out of Tim. "I'd love to," he said, smiling.

Roy kissed Tim one more time and then reached over to turn off the bedside light, curling up around the warm body in his bed.

* * * * *

Another day, another invasion averted.

Roy shook his head at the surrealism of his life as he entered the rec room at Titans Tower, currently filled to the brim.

This particular invasion had been stopped by the combined trickery and firepower of the Outsiders and Teen Titans, when the Titans wandered into the middle of an Outsiders investigation. Things got murky, but thanks to the leadership and teamwork of Nightwing and Robin, it all worked out with minimal injury to everyone involved.

Well, except the invaders. Who got their asses handed to them on a platter. Roy grinned at the memory and leaned against the wall to watch his team and the Titans mixing. For reasons he couldn't explain, things went surprisingly well on those occasions when they got toer--er--surprising considering just how much room for disaster there was.

But Grace and Starfire always glared, turned up their respective noses, and retired to separate corners of the room. And thankfully everybody seemed to have come to terms with Indigo's continued existence, although it had been tense at first. But she'd learned a great deal about human interaction since he'd formed the Outsiders and she was able to disarm the few who might have said or done something with her guileless charm. At the moment, she was busy talking to Gar, so Roy turned away.

Dick was in the corner speaking earnestly to Vic about something and Roy thought about joining them, until he felt a familiar presence at his side. Without turning his head, he let a slow griide ide onto his face. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah. Quite a surprise," Tim replied. "Your team did a great job out there."

"So did yours." Roy glanced at him. "Your teamwork is a lot better than the original Titans."

"I think we've had more incentive."

Tim was obviously thinking of Lilith and Donna, so Roy put a hand on his shoulder. "I understand."

"I know you do. That's why..." He stopped, eyes sparkling. "So..."

"Yes?"

Tim's lips barely moved and the words were practically inaudible. "Would you like to come see my etchings?"

Mouth dry, Roy nodded. "I'd like that. I'll meet you in the upper hall in five minutes."

Tim nodded and disappeared.

Roy worked the room efficiently, meandering to each of his team members and congratulating them on their excellent work in the recent battle. He could see Cassie watching his progress, although she was trying to be subtle, and groaned. It was somewhat ridiculous, but Tim was going to have to talk to her. The last thing they needed was an amorous Wonder Girl chasing him around.

He even stopped to have a quick word with Dick, because it would look suspicious otherwise. "Hey, Vic and I were just talking about some joint training exercises," Dick said, leaning back in his chair, his sprawl somehow taking up more space than should have been physically possible.

"That sounds like a good idea," Roy said. "I'll find you later." He was already eyeing the doorway, wondering how soon he could leave.

"Something wrong?" Vic asked.

"Hmm? No, nothing's wrong. I juave ave some things to take care of. Carry on. Don't do anything I wouldn't do." He nodded at them as he left, but got nervous at the expression on Dick's face. Damn it, he thought, could you be a little more obvious? Maybe you could have jumped on a table and shouted, 'Hey, I'm going to go screw my boyfriend now!'

Once again, Roy pondered the way Tim made him act like an idiot, like a virgin who'd never been kissed, for god's sake. Nobody else had that effect on him, no one had ever made him want to be innocent again.

He strode up the hall, and only years of practice with Nightwing and Batman kept him from jumping when Tim appeared out of the shadows, cape folded over his arm. Roy grinned--Tim knew how much he liked to watch him walk. Something about the way Tim stood, he obviously couldn't wait much longer.

"Let's--"

The rest of Tim's words were lost when Roy grabbed him, kissing as if they hadn't seen each other in months. Post-mission adrenaline, a portion of his brain noted calmly. Need to watch out for that. That'sten ten you in trouble before.

Tim kissed him back, hands roaming all over his back until he stiffened and started to pull away. Roy was confused, then he heard the voice behind him.

"There you...oh, fuck."

Roy didn't turn, just looked down at Tim, whose breathing had gone erratic. "It'll be okay," Roy said quietly. He kept one arm around Tim as he turned to face Dick. "Hey."

Dick's hand was twitching, as if he wanted to throw a batarang or a punch. "Hey? That's all yon san say?"

"You'd rather I shouted 'It's not what you think'? My life's enough like a bad movie already, I don't need to actively encourage it." He felt rather than heard Tim's snicker.

Dick's hands dropped to his sides. "I know it's what I think. I just don't know what to say."

"Don't say anything," Tim said. "Turn around and go back to the party."

Both Roy and Dick looked at him. He'd stopped looking shell-shocked and now seemed amused. "C'mon, Dick. If you'd found Roy and Grace or Roy and Wally snogging in the hallway, you'd have chuckled and turned around immediately. Probably teased them later, but that's it."

Dick was obviously at a loss for words.

"Tim's right," Roy said.

Dick and Tim looked at each other and Roy felt superfluous, an outsider to their relationship. "You're right, I'd laugh," Dick said, voice cracking, "But...none of them are like a little brother to me."

Tim sighed. "You're going to have to accept that I'm growing up."

"With Roy?"

"With Roy." Tim stepped out from Roy's arm. "We can talk about this later, okay?"

"Okay," Dick said faintly.

Tim turned and tugged Roy along with him. Roy followed him down the hallway and into his bedroom. The door shut behind him and he raised his eyebrows at Tim. "Just one question."

"Only one?"

"Well, one for now."

"Okay. What's the question?"

"Snogging?"

Tim shrugged. "Superboy met up with this British guy when he was trying to learn a bit about magic and...."

Roy gave up trying to resist. He grabbed Tim's shoulders and kissed him, feeling the cape slide out of his arms onto the floor. "Never mind. Tell me later," he mumbled against his mouth.

Tim pulled on him until they sprawled together, half off the bed. It wasn't the most comfortable position, but Roy was reluctant to stop kissing and licking long enough to move.

"So, this is snogging, huh?" Roy murmured, sucking sweat off Tim's neck.

"Yeah." Tim ran the hand Roy wasn't lying on up onto Roy's head, pulling him closer. "Now do that again."

Roy laughed, breathless, and fastened his teeth where Tim's neck and shoulder met, biting hard through the uniform. Moaning, Tim squeezed him harder and Roy tried to remember why he'd wanted to stop earlier. Memory took a few moments to trickle through sensation.

"Tim." His only response was the feeling of Tim's hand sliding down his chest and he grabbed for it. "Tim!"

"Mmmm?"

"I don't think this is a good idea. Not right now."

"Why not?"

Roy nuzzled against Tim's hair, relishing the feel of the smoothandsands. Tim was *never* allowed to get a buzz cut like his. "We're coming down off a battle high. Our teammates are downstairs. *Dick* is downstairs. Almost certainly figuring out the best way to castrate me."

Tim leaned his head against Roy's shoulder again, a warm and solid comfort. "Way to break the mood," he said, smacking Roy's shoulder.

"Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Roy concentrated on the feeling of Tim tucked up against him and let the rest of the world disappear for a while. Right now, he needed the comfort more than the release. After all, there was still one big hurdle left in a very long day.

* * * * *

Roy jogged down the steps, knowing what he would find before he reached the rec room. He'd deliberately told Tim to wait a few minutes before coming down, so that he could be the one to face the music.

"Roy."

"Dick." Roy stopped and looked down the hall to the doorway his teammate leaned against.

Dick glared at him, then turned and entered the small meeting room. With a sigh, Roy followed, closing the door behind him. "What's up, Short Pants?" He leaned against the circular table in the center, projecting casual with all his might.

"What the hell is going on?" Dick asked, his posture half-threatening.

"I'm dating Tim. Didn't we establish that already?" Roy took deep breaths, willing himself to stay calm. He tried to channel Connor.

Dick paced across the room, almost kicking a chair out of his way. Abusing the furniture was *never* a good sign in the Batclan, Roy thought. "Dating." Dick turned and glared at him some more. "So that's what they call it these days."

Roy rolled his eyes. "Okay, *now* I get to say 'It's not what you think.' Yes, dating. Dinner, goodnight kisses, movies. It's been a long time, but I seem to recall that's dating."

Dick paused, studying him. "You're serious."

"Yes, I'm serious!" Okay, that was nearly a shout, so Roy took another deep breath, shaking tension out of his arms. "I care about Tim. He's not, he's not Grace or some cheap fuck."

"Damn straight he's not."

"So we agree on something."

Dick's mouth opened, then closed. He crossed his arms, and Roy relaxed, knowing that meant his friend wasn't going to punch him. "When...I mean, how long has this been going on?"

Roy did a quick count. "Seven months. It's been serious for about five. Knowing Tim, he could probably give you an exact number."

Dick shook his head. "That long? I didn't...I can't believe I didn't know." He turned and went back to pacing around the table, finally looking up at Roy. "He means a lot to me."

"I know."

"He's just a kid."

"See, that's where you're wrong. He makes *me* look like a kid."

Dick laughed at that. "I know what you mean. I'm sorry I..." He waved a hand.

"I get it. I'm still not entirely sure what he sees in me."

"Roy..."

"Sorry, just my insecurities speaking, as usual." He grinned, although he wanted to grimace. Why the hell had he said that?

Dick's look said he didn't buy the grin for a second, which was the difficulty of having friends who'd known you so long. "You know, Tim's not the only one I'm worried about."

"C'mon, knowknow you get off on protecting Tim from bad ol' Roy."

Now Dick was frowning, and Roy knew he'd said the wrong thing. "Okay, you're officially worrying me," Dick said, stepping closer. "Make up your mind. Do I need to protect him or you?"

Roy waved his hand. "Neither of us, damn it. We're doing just fine without anyone's help."

"Uh-huh." Dick looked unconvinced. "Look, Roy, I know--"

Roy shook his head, unreasonably annoyed. "If you're done with the lecture, I'm heading back to the party."

He stalked out of the room without waiting for a response, taking a few minutes to walk the shadowy back corridors to calm down.

When he returned to the rec room, his eyes automatically found Tim, who was playing poker with Cassie. He shot Roy a worried glance and started to stand, but Roy shook his head. Feeling eyes on him, he looked for Dick. Yep, Dick was looking worried too.

Roy deliberately turned away to sit down with Indigo, who was patiently listening as Gar and Shift explained chess. The back of his head itched from feelfeeling of both Dick and Tim watching him and he made an effort to seem normal.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tim approach Dick and whisper something in his ear. Dick looked startled, but he gave that small headshake that Roy knew meant 'not now.'

He should reassure Tim. He should apologize to Dick. He should just get over himself.

Oh yeah, Tim was going to have a lot to say about this.

* * * * *

Roy was hoping for a bit of a reprieve, but less than 24 hours laterck eck entered the Outsiders HQ control room. "Hey, Arrowboy, look who's come to visit."

Roy turned, sighing as Tim--in his Robin outfit--came in behind Dick. They looked at each other and Dick glanced between them. "Uh, I'll be beating up some practice dummies if you need me. Just don't kill each other. I'd hate to have to explain it to Batman and Green Arrow."

"So," Tim said, leaning against the console next to him, "any chance you want to tell me what happened?"

Roy sighed, glancing at his half-completed monitor schedule for the HQ. "Nothing."

"Uh-huh. Dick shows up in Gotham and gives me an hour-long lecture about your past and how I need to take care of *you* and you expect me to believe nothing happened? Just how dumb *am* I, anyway?" Tim scowled, smacking his shoulder.

Roy stared resolutely down. "Dick and I talked. That's it."

"I repeat: how dumb *am* I?"

"Screw you."

"Is that a threat or a promise?" There was a laugh in Tim's voice.

"It's a promise if you'll drop this." Roy shook his head. "I'm fine. Dickfinefine. No blood was shed."

"As long as we're not seeing a repeat of the 'Tim's going to leave me' incident, I'll let it go."

"It's not that." Roy drummed his fingers on his keyboard. "Just a moment of doubt when faced with the guy who got me through heroin addiction."

"I love you, heroin or not."

Swallowing sharply, Roy looked away, but Tim's hand on his chin made him look back. "You still don't believe me," Tim said, voice soft.

Closing his eyes, Roy couldn't think of a response. How could Tim expect him to believe it? Tim hadn't seen, hadn't lived through it, hadn't *be *betrayed* the way Dick and the others had.

"Roy?" Stroking Roy's cheek once, Tim leaned back against the console, analytical face back in place. "Whatever you're thinking, I'll almost guarantee it's wrong. You really don't get it."

"Get what?" To his own ears, his voice sounded rusty.

"I *admire* you."

Roy stared.

Tim smiled, shaking his head once. "You survived. You beat the addiction. That takes courage on a level I can't imagine."

Roy's hands dropped from the keyboard to his lap and he was left speechless.

"I love you," Tim said, voice firm and strong now.

"I...I love you, too." Roy felt like an idiot saying it and he was glad nobody else was there to see him blush. He was willing to swear that Tim said it sometimes just so he could watch Roy's face turn red.

Tim leaned forward and pulled Roy into a hug, kissing the top of his head. The smell of kevlar was faintly comforting, the feel of Tim's arms and lips even more so.

* * * * *

Another month passed, a bit blurry as Roy juggled Tim, Lian, Ollie, Connor, and his work. But somehow even the blur was satisfying, he thought, staring at the computer screen. Time with Tim had become an unmitigated joy.

Outsiders HQ was pretty much deserted, which was why Roy was finally getting some work done. Glancing at his watch, he estimated Lian and Ron would be home in about two hours, which gave him some time before he had to head out.

Buried in the problem of how to describe why they'd accidentally blown up a bank, he barely noticed the ring os ces cell phone. "Yeah?" he said into it, trying to find *just* the right euphemism for "explosion."

"Hey," Tim said on the other end of the phone, "are you free Saturday night?"

Roy typed a few more sentences into his report, cell phone tucked between ear and shoulder. "I can be. What's the plan?" Maybe they could do another motorcycle ride out of the city, he thought idly.

"Um."

Roy stopped typing, suddenly worried, and grabbed the phone. \?" ?"

"Um, I was thinking you might come to Gotham and we could have dinner with my dad and Dana."

Roy relaxed, grumbling as he looked at his still-to-do list. "Pull the other one, man, it's got bells on."

"I'm not kidding."

"Oh god." Roy's head hit the desk with a solid thunk.

"Look at it this way." Tim paused.

"Please tell me this is a late April Fool's joke."

"It's either that or dinner with Batman."

It was a moment before Roy recovered his voice. "So, uh, what time do they want us there?"

* * * * *

As he and Tim drove up to the Drake Gotham brownstone, Roy tried to remember the last time he'd been this nervous. He was fairly certain it had involved nuclear weapons or a vast number of demons infesting Star City.

He distracted himself by trying to remember if he'd *ever* had to "meet the parents" before. Nothing came to mind, which made it all worse. He was too old to be doing this for the first time, damn it. He briefly amused himself by trying to imagine Cheshire's parents before going back to the need to impress Jack Drake.

It wasn't that the man could stop their relationship--hell, Tim didn't live at home and Batman would pay for Tim's college in a heartbeat, if necessary--but Tim wanted the man's approval. It made things more difficult, but considering his tenuous relationship with Ollie, Roy could certainly understand.

His nervousness wasn't helped at all by the fact that normally imperturbable Tim looked like he was going to explode out of his skin, fingers tapping in no particular rhythm on the seat, and even an occasional tapping toe. "Are you sure it wouldn't be easier to talk to Batman?" Roy asked, putting the car in park.

"I'm beginning to wonder. At least Bruce *knows* you."

"I'm not entirely sure he *likes* me, though."

"That doesn't count. He doesn't like anybody."

Taking a deep breath, Roy got out of the car, resisting the urge to check his hair in the mirror or something equally feminine and absurd. The front door opened and Tim's stepmother stepped out, beaming at the two of them. Well, that was a good sign, Roy supposed.

Dana hugged Tim the moment he made it to the top of the steps and Tim hugged her back. She whispered something in his ear and let go.

"Dana," Tim touched Roy's shoulder, "this is Roy."

Roy held out his hand. "Mrs. Drake, I'm very pleased to meet you."

"Please call me Dana," she said, shaking his hand. "And I'm pleased to meet you. Tim has told us...almost nothing about you."

"Why am I not surprised?" He shared a conspiratorial grin with Dana, while Tim sighed in mock exasperation.

"Come in. Tim, your father's in the living room." She hesitated, obviously on the verge of saying something else, but she changed her mind, opening the front door and walking inside.

Tim looked more nervous than Roy had ever seen him, although he doubted anyone outside their small community of do-gooders would be able to see it. It was all about the tension in his shoulders and the way his fingers twitched.

Roy sighed, remembering Tim telling him about his dad's initial reaction to his son's other life as Robin. Did the man have any idea how much danger he'd been in, waving a gun at Batman? Probably not. In any case, if Tim had brought home another eighteen-year-old, even a guy, it wouldn't have been quite this nerve-wracking. But Tim's father had a history of worrying about older men tampering in his son's life, which made this evening a question mark large enough for the Riddler.

The living room was classic upper middle class, the kind of thing Ollie would sneer at as mildly bourgeois, then completely ignore. The room didn't have a great deal of personality, Roy thought, but his upbringing hadn't been precisely normal, so what did he know? There were a few pictures of Jack, Dana, and Tim, pieces of art that were very Dana, and furniture in standard earth tones.

Jack Drake stood when they entered the room and Roy wondered if he always looked quite that unhappy, or if it were in Roy's honor. Jack's clothing looked like he'd deliberately resisted dressing up to meet Roy. Roy suspected the slightly frayed cuff on the shirt was intentional, but Dana had probably insisted on the nice slacks.

"Dad," Tim said, "this is Roy."

"Roy."

Jack held out his hand and Roy shook it, smothering a chuckle at Jack's attempt to outgrip him in some macho test. Roy thought about using some of his own prodigious hand strength to make a point, but decided against it. "Very nice to meet you, sir."

"Tim."

"Dad."

There was enough history buried in those two words, Roy thought he could probably write an entire novel. A tense silence fell over the room, thankfully broken almost immediately by Dana.

"Well," she said with tremendous false cheer, "the rolls have a few minutes, but I think we can sit down."

It was going to be a long evening, Roy thought as he obediently followed her to the table, set under the brownstone's large windows.

After a few minutes of inconsequential chatter over gazpacho, battle was joined.

"So," Jack said to Roy, who sat across the table from him, "what do you do? I know you're not in school."

Roy was ready for this one and he and Tim had discussed the options. "As I think you've guessed, I'm in the same business as Tim."

"Which one are you?" Jack put down his spoon and studied Roy's face. "You're not Nightwing."

Tim choked and Roy couldn't look at him. "No, I'm not. My pre cod code name is Arsenal and I lead a team called the Outsiders."

"I've heard of them," Dana said.

Roy grimaced. "We do have a tendency to make the news. Usually whatever they say is wrong, though."

"The Outsiders." Jack frowned. "Didn't you--"

"They work with the Titans sometimes," Tim said quickly. "And Roy has known Nightwing since his own days as a Titan."

Jack looked annoyed at being cut off, and Roy hoped Tim knew what he was doing.

Dana jumped in. "Oh, Tim said you have a daughter."

"Yes, her name is Lian." Roy couldn't help his grin of paternal pride.

"Who's the mother?" Jack asked.

"Jack!" Dana turned pink, while Tim went white and started to rub his forehead.

"What? It's a legitimate question."

"Yes, it is," Roy said. There was dead silence as he faced Jack over the table. "Her mother is out of the picture. Our...relationship was a mistake and the only good that came of it was Lian."

Grasping at straws now, Dana jumped in again. "Do you have a picture?"

"Of course!" Roy had his wallet out before Jack could say anything. "Here's a good one." He held out the wallet to Dana.

Her face softened and she smiled at him. "She's just darling."

"She is," Tim said. "Runs us ragged and talks a mile a minute, too."

"The next picture's my favorite," Roy said.

Dana flipped to the next picture and giggled, looking up at Tim. Dismay on his face, Tim turned to Roy.

"Relax," Roy said, "it's not *that* one. I promise, I threw out of every copy of teacteaching Lian the chicken dance. No, this is Coney Island."

Tim sighed. "You had me worried."

Dana held out the wallet to Jack. "Isn't this adorable?"

Roy could only agree. It really was his favorite photo: Tim and Lian crammed into a Coney Island bumper car. By a quirk of fate, Roy had snapped the photo at exactly the right moment and captured them on impact with another car. They clutched each other, dark hair flying, with matching grins of satisfaction and glee.

Jack looked at the picture for a long time. Tim and Dana stared at each other in obvious anxiety, while Roy went back to eating his soup. If he was going to crash and burn, it might as well be on a full stomach.

"You have a lovely daughter," Jack finally said, eyes flicking briefly to meet Roy's before he looked away.

"Thank you." Roy nodded, taking back his wallet.

Conversation moved back to the inconsequential as Dana asked Tim about his US history class. These details managed to get them through most of the meal, with Jack unbending enough to make polite conversation.

Dessert got a bit touchy when Jack insisted on asking after Steph, but Tim stifled that with a single glare. Roy tried to decide if that had been a jab at his gender or his occupation--finally concluding it had been both, since he was fairly certain Tim's dad didn't know Steph was Spoiler (or the temporary Robin).

"Tim, why don't you help me clear the table?" Dana asked as Jack ate the last of the chocolate mousse. There was a brief exchange of glances and Tim nodded.

Roy crossed his arms and waited as Dana left the room, interested to see that she'd forced this confrontation. Obviously there was more to her than the friendly stepmom. Tim shot Roy a pleading glance--which Roy interpreted as 'He's a pain, but don't kill him, please'--and followed her.

"So," Jack said slowly, "you're dating my son."

"Yes." Several smart-ass responses leaped to mind and Roy saved them up to tell Tim later. They stared at each other and Roy felt as if he were on trial.

"You understand my concerns," Jack said. "He's my son. He may not think so, but he's just a kid."

This guy must get along great with Nightwing, Roy thought. "No offense, but you're wrong. He hasn't been a kid for a long time. He's been places and seen things you can hardly comprehend. Tim's too polite to point that out, but it's true."

Jack shook his head in denial.

"I'm a father. I get it, okay? If I could keep Lian this age forever, make sure nobody ever touched her or hurt her, you know as well as I do that I'd do it. But I can't."

"Tim deserves better than some glorified bounty hunter." Jack practically spit the words at him.

"Yeah, I don't think I'm any prize either, but I'm here." Roy looked past Jack into the mirror hanging on the wall, trying to see what Tim saw in him. "Until and unless Tim changes his mind, you're stuck with me."

"It seems like I don't have a choice."

Roy took a deep breath, looking the other man in the eye. "Sure you do. You could disown Tim. Tell him to never darken your door again. Take him out of the will. Whatever you want."

Jack pushed himself back from the table, a touch of fear on his face. "I'd never do that."

"Good." Roy felt his own heartbeat drop back toward normal. "Then your other choice is to accept that Tim doesn't *need* your approval, even if he wants it."

Closing his eyes, Jack turned away. "I don't much care for being lectured by my son's *boyfriend*."

"Fair enough. I don't much care for being treated like some predator trying to corrupt your son. Ask him who chased who and then we can talk about it like adults." Roy was trying to channel Connor again, with limited success. He was going to have to talk to his brother about this whole Zen thing.

Jack's shoulders tensed up and Roy counted his breaths until he saw them slowly relax again. "You're right," he said finally.

"I'm glad to hear it," Tim said from the doorway.

Jack turned and Roy tried to look like he'd known all along Tim was there. "Tim?"

Tim glanced at Roy. "Give us a few minutes?"

"Yeah. I'll just be in the kitchen." As he passed, Roy let his hand rest on Tim's shoulder for a second.

He found Dana sitting at the kitchen table looking faint. "I think it's going to be okay," he offered. "They didn't look like they were going to kill each other."

"Good," she said, twisting her hands together. "Their relationship..."

"I get it. Someday I'll tell you about my foster father."

Roy sat down at the table and in moments, the pictures in his wallet were back out, and Roy was telling every cute Lian story he could remember. Dana laughed, looking more relaxed than she had all evening. Tim was lucky to have her as a stepmom, Roy thought, glad she was obviously on their side.

Finally, Tim leaned his head back in the room. "All clear. Everyone alive and accounted for." Dana stood up and went to hug him, and Tim grinned at Roy over her shoulder.

Roy was somewhat reluctant to leave the safety of the kitchen, but he let Tim pull him back to the living room. He didn't want to look cowardly, after all.

Jack managed a polite nod when he entered the room, and if he wasn't precisely thrilled with Roy, he and Tim seemed to have come to an understanding. Dana brushed a lock of blonde hair behind her ears and eyed the room with the air of someone used to breaking the tension between father and son.

"Since I've seen all of Roy's pictures, perhaps it's time to embarrass Tim by bringing out some of his," she said with a smile.

Tim groaned, burying his head in his hands and Roy laughed. "Oh, I'm sure he was a sweet baby."

Dana grinned back. "I won't embarrass him *that* much. Well, not this visit at least. I'm sure we haome ome slightly more recent photos."

Roy winced as Dana pulled a photo album off the shelf, realizing that older pictures would probably have Tim's mom in them. Whoops.

Tim and his father--with occasional comments from Roy and Dana--talked sports, while Dana flipped through the album with Roy.

From there the conversation moved to politics, which in any other household might be a hot button issue, but compared to what they'd already weathered that evening, it was a positive relief. Jack completely forgot his previous animosity for a while, as he and Roy had a lively debate over the Luthor administration's foreign policies.

Eventually Roy glanced at his watch and he and Tim nodded at each other. Tim was on patrol this evening and Roy had some research he wanted to do before going to sleep. They made their farewells.

Jack managed a marginally polite smile and goodbye, and hugged Tim. From the relief on Dana's face, that was obviously a good sign.

Dana hugged Tim and Roy as well, to the latter's mild embarrassment. "I'm very glad we got to meet you," she said, "and I hope we'll see you again soon."

"Thank you for a lovely dinner," Roy said. "And I'm sure I'll be around."

They made it all the way to Roy's car before sighing with relief.

Roy leaned back against the door, grinning at Tim. "See? That wasn't *so* bad."

Tim groaned. "I think I'd rather go up against the Joker, Riddler, and the entire Injustice Society than do something like this again. At least there I know what I'm supposed to do and I'm allowed to kick ass."

"C'mere, you." Roy held out a hand and Tim fitted himself in between Roy's legs, nuzzling against his neck. "'s all good, right?"

"Right." Tim leaned his head up for a kiss.

As their lips were about to touch, they both heard a small sound from above and behind them. Roy closed his eyes. "Oh shit."

Batman dropped silently down beside them. Folding his arms across his chest, he waited. "Well?"

"Um..." Tim paused. "It's not what you think?"

"That's it," Roy said. "I'm dead."

--end--