The Arrangement

CH 11 - Tired Tim

Tired.

Tim was always tired. He knew it was due to his missing spleen, busy nightlife, and declining mental health. It was a bad combination that he was trying his best to correct. Others were helping as well. But today, today he was Tired. So tired he felt it in his bones. His body protested with every movement, he moved slower, his shoulder slouched forward, his eyes sunken. He just couldn't.

As he entered his office, he saw the piles of papers on his desk. He truly couldn't.

"Hello," he flinched so hard that the papers he held went flying, and he fell to the ground. "I don't think you need any more coffee." Sitting on the sofa in his personal office was Damian's fiance, Syn. On the coffee table in front of her was a cup holder with two Styrofoam cups with his favorite coffee shop logo on them.

"Sorry," Tam said as she came in, hearing the commotion." She said she was a friend of the family. Your brother called to confirm."

He nodded as his shoulders sagged, and he laid down on the ground. " I think he's had enough for today." That was the last full sentence Tim heard before he started to slip into unconsciousness. He heard pieces after.

"...Let me help."

"...coming"

"It's his..."

"...sometimes...".

He felt movement but wasn't conscious enough to understand any of it. After some time, he just gave in.

-

Hours later, he woke up startled. His last memory was of Syn in his office. Now, he was in his apartment in his bed. How did he get here? Jumping out of bed, he was still in his work clothes, which was good. Nothing nefarious happened to his body. Unless? "Are you going to come out now?" He stepped out of his room to see Syn sitting in his living room with his laptop surrounded by, no doubt, his paperwork.

"I got you coffee. It's probably cold now," she said nonchalantly. " I don't think you should drink it. Perhaps some tea instead."

"Why are you here?"

She gets up and puts the laptop aside. Tim watches as she makes her way to the kitchen. She busies herself while he looks at what she has been doing. She was looking at different accounts, marking those incorrect, and highlighting the mistakes. "Where is Tam?"

"She went to cancel and reschedule your meeting for today and tomorrow. As well as get your meds." She was no doubt contacting his family as well. They'd be here tomorrow to coddle and scold him. And Bruce would no doubt join him in the office the next day.

"Why are you here?"

"That dinner was intense. I don't believe that was a true representation of your family. Individual meetings should be better, no? I want to meet Tim Drake-Wayne."

"And I'd like to meet Syn Minamoto." Smiling, Syn took a seat across from him on the couch. He eyed her suspiciously.

"My name is Syn Minamoto, and I come from a family of nine. I am the oldest daughter at 15-"

"you're 15"

"As of April 15th, is that problem?" She eyed him. It should be, especially considering all his family did when they were her age or younger.

"No, sorry, it's just you said you and Damian met at 3?"

"I was 3. Damian was 4 or 5 at the time. I don't remember when time blurred within the league, and age never mattered." In the league, Birthdays were never truly celebrated. Damian received a test every birthday, a fight with his mother, and an award of learning about his father if he won. Additionally, they might receive some new weapons if someone was generous. (Syn would also have the kitchen make sweet cakes for him. He never ate them.) Syn never celebrated her birthday.