[Fic] Memory

[jayeinacross]

Progress: Complete
Rating: G
Warnings: None
Word count: c.400
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine.
Summary: Tim doesn't know what's wrong with him. He has all these memories of people he doesn't know. One person in particular.
A/N: Written for a prompt on the DCnU meme. Post-reboot.
Also posted on tumblr here.

***


Something’s not quite right.

Tim’s not quite right.

He keeps trying to tell himself that it’s nothing. But it’s not. Something is wrong.

The other day when Bart was running around and generally being irritating, he snapped at him, "Stop it, Imp!"

Bart took a second to tilt his head and ask why Tim had called him that before forgetting about it and speeding off again.

Tim could never think of an answer to his question.

Then another time, he glances at Cassie and notices how gorgeous she is even when she’s in the middle of the fight, and is immediately overwhelmed by crippling guilt, because how could he do that to Kon?

He shouldn’t be feeling guilty for a simple observation.

And he definitely shouldn’t be feeling guilty for betraying someone who doesn’t exist.

It only gets worse from there.

The others notice that something is wrong, but they’re not close enough to inquire too deeply about it. Miguel and Kiran both express their concerns, and maybe Cassie (the brusque way she asks makes him unsure), but that’s it. He’s doing his best to hide it.

But maybe soon, his best won’t be enough.

It starts happening more and more frequently. Anything can set it off.

There’s an image of a boy with blonde hair and tanned skin, a green mask over blue eyes, in back of his mind, but Tim’s never seen him before in his life.

Miguel makes him an eggplant sandwich one day, and he whispers a name that feels so natural on his tongue: "Steph."

Suddenly, everything he sees reminds him of people he doesn’t know.

A bluebird flits past the window. Kara.

Bart uses a strange green mask as his game avatar. Oracle.

Some character on a fantasy TV show has pale skin and wears a blue cloak. Raven.

With every name, Tim gets lonelier and lonelier.

One beats at his skull constantly. Kon. A telemarketer call advertising a trip to Hawaii. Kon. Some of the others shorten Bart’s codename to ‘Kid’, but Tim never does, because Kon. He hears Enya on the radio. Kon. A documentary on the tunnels beneath Paris is shown on TV. Kon.

When the person calling himself "Superboy" shows up, Tim can’t move for a moment.

He looks like the memory of Kon.

But Tim feels empty inside, because there’s no way that this cold, ruthless monster is Kon.

Even if he never meets Kon.

Even if Kon doesn’t exist.

Tim will always remember.