Work Text:
Kon is laughing out loud, bright as if he was the sun itself. Like this, his eyes crease into laughing lines that are just a tad too straight to be human.
Cassie doesn't even remember what the conversation was about. All she knows is that Kon is here. Laughing and breathing like nothing bad ever happened.
And that's good. He should be happy and not be dragged down by the heavy weight that comes with their line of work, right? So why are her eyes stinging? Why is her throat dry and her chest heavy as if she were still experiencing loss?
Kon is alive. Bart too, she just saw him a few minutes ago before he ran off to have breakfast with his family. They are both alive and fine.
Even Tim. Cassie carried him back to bed a few hours ago when she discovered that he didn't go to bed like he promised. All of them are here. Together. They're fine. She knows that. Cassie swallows down the uneasiness.
"We should go shopping," she says. There isn't any specific reason she suggested it, but it would be something that they could do as a group. Dead people don't need to buy more stuff.
Kon raises an eyebrow. "Go shopping for what?"
Cassie shrugs trying to seem nonchalant, "Doesn't really matter. Just thought we could go do something."
The boy tilts his head in consideration, then smiles. "Yeah, it could be fun. We'll have to convince Tim that it's for a good cause."
At this she has to snort. When she looks back, the expression on his face is full of satisfaction. Ah. He noticed the fall in her mood. She shouldn't make him worry like that.
Hiding her bad feelings is hard, but something that she constantly needs to improve because of how sensitive her boys are. They'll never admit it, full of pride that they are, but emotionally? They are rather fragile. When it comes to people they care about, they'll break themselves trying to make things right. Cassie can't let that happen.
"You know," She teases, "Tim would probably throw a black card at you if you just asked. He'd love it if you threw it out the window, cuz I swear he's desperate to get rid of it."
Kon cackles, "That's my evil masterplan! I've lulled him into a false sense of security, and now I will bleed his bank account dry!"
This time her chuckle is entirely real. Looking down at her breakfast, she can't stop her lips from curling ruefully.
"Hey," She asks. "You know that I care about you, right?"
From her periphery she can see him pause. "Yeah, of course."
Because of course she does. As a friend. As a lover. As a family. "That's good." Because she never wants any of them to doubt that. To think that she wouldn't lay down her life in a heartbeat if they needed it. That she doesn't want to give them the world if they'd want it.
Kon opens his mouth to say something, but gets interrupted by a loud thud. Cassie turns around and sees Tim looking at the doorframe like it betrayed him.
Exasperated, she asks, "What are you doing here?"
Tim looks at her confused. "I live here?"
His tone suggests that he isn't sure of that statement.
"I meant out of bed," She corrects wryly. Because she put him to bed about three hours ago and that's way too little sleep for their resident insomniac.
Standing up, she ignores the excuses he's trying to give and lifts him up into a princess carry.
Cassie announces, "Right back to bed you go."
Tim groans, but doesn't actually try to get out of her hold.
"See ya later, Wonder!" Kon cheeks.
Rolling his eyes, her prisoner flips him the bird. They walk back into the bedroom where she lays him back onto the bed. Before she can retreat, the boy grabs her arm.
Looking for something in her eyes, he says, "They're alive."
Her breath hitches. Because she hadn't thought that he'd see... His eyes turn sad, holding that heaviness that hasn't left him since that disastrous year.
"They're fine and happy and they're here." His voice cracks as he repeats, "Alive."
And Cassie wants to scream. Because she knows. They were just talking and touching so she knows. But sometimes she doesn't. Sometimes her mind jumps to those graves where they lowered them. Sometimes she thinks of the corpse still laying in Superman's Fortress, where it will stay for the next thousand years. Sometimes there is knowledge that Bart's first body has long since started to fall apart six feet underground.
"Yeah," she whispers. Her hand comes up and lays on his. "We're going to be alright."
Tim looks over her, again and gives her a sad smile. Cassie doesn't want to know what he wants to add, so she leans forward and kisses his forehead.
"Sleep well," she tells him.
He squeezes her arm, then lets go with an understanding smile and closes his eyes. It's a miracle to see him like this. Calm and almost serene. She once thought she'd never see him like this again.
Cassie takes a moment to herself to watch over him. Soon, she will go back and reassure Kon that everything is fine. Soon, the four of them will go out and have fun shopping. But for now, Cassie breathes.
They will be fine.