notarrowette | Bart's Back!

Current Mood: ecstatic
Current Location: Room 415, Elias

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Bart's Back!

[RP with sofasterthanyou]

Cissie dragged just about every snack food she had out of the cupboard before turning to the mini-fridge. She was going to need to go shopping tomorrow but she didn't care at all. She checked her cell phone again after sticking some nachos in the microwave--nothing from Tim yet. She was dying to tell him about Bart, but she knew he was working and she didn't want to risk interrupting, particularly since he'd warned her that he would be out of touch for a while.

While the microwave worked its magic, she went back to her computer and laughed at Bart's latest message before sending one in return: "So--are you coming over?"

Cissie sat back in her chair and chewed on her lip while she waited.

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Bart had tried to keep his shower as short as possible--he knew that smelling like a stinky boy wasn't the best way to ingratiate yourself with a girl--but it still took him a whole minute. The run to Elias was done in much less time.

Although, he had continued by habit, and stopped in the middle of Cissie's old room, getting very confused by the lack of blonde archer. Thankfully, it was empty so he didn't have to explain his presence. Bart wasn't sure whether he was actually allowed to visit.

Probably not.

Blurring to a stop in the middle of Cissie's real room, Bart took a subjective minute to just stare at Cissie sitting in front of her computer before whisking her into a huge hug, even going so far as to spin her around.

"I missed you so much!" he declared, laughing.

Cissie barely had time to register Bart's presence in the room before she was yanked up and around in a crushing hug. She squeaked and then laughed while he spun her, latching her arms around his neck to return the hug.

"Bart! I've missed you too!" She was not going to cry. Really.

There were other people in the Speed Force, many other people, some of whom had become his friends (or even more than just friends), but there was nothing like being back with his real friends to make him tear up a little.

"How've you been?" he asked, pulling back enough to look Cissie in the face. He knew he was grinning like an idiot, but he had always had a bit of a reputation as a goof, so he didn't mind. "You look amazing," he added more softly, tightening his arms slightly.

Cissie beamed back at him, wearing a stupid grin of her own. She swiped a hand over her eyes and blushed a little. "You look pretty amazing too," she said, laughing again--and conveniently ignoring the first question. "God, I'm so happy to see you."

Politically ignoring the wetness gathering in the corners of Cissie's eyes, Bart's grin turned a little sheepish. "Gee, thanks, Ciss." It was still really weird to be back in his teenaged body after so long as an adult. But he kind of liked it.

Stepping back enough to give Cissie room to breathe, Bart found himself all but bouncing on the balls of his feet. "So what's been going on? You have to tell me absolutely everything."

Cissie couldn't stop grinning. She took a few steps back and sat on the edge of her bed, shaking her head a little. She was almost afraid that she was dreaming.

"Where do you want me to start?" she asked, laughing a little. "It's been--a long time. Not as long as for you, of course, but--a lot's happened."

"The beginning's as good a place as any," Bart offered. "After I--after I disappeared." He wouldn't say 'died.' He just wouldn't.

Suddenly slightly uncomfortable, Bart zipped over to where he had seen the cookies before, and came right back, plate in hand and a few already in his mouth. "Cookie?" he asked, spewing crumbs down his shirt as he held the plate out to Cissie where she sat. Settling down on the floor by her feet, Bart readied himself for a long story, thankfully helped along by snacks.

Cissie appreciated Bart's word choice, watching him settle himself by her feet. She took a cookie and just looked at him for a moment--leaning against the bed at her feet, smiling up at her while he ate... How many times had they done this? How many times had she wished they could--how many times had she pretended this, since he died?

She shook her head a little to redirect her thoughts and leaned over to ruffle her hair--both because she could and because she needed the contact to remind herself this was real. "There are nachos in the microwave--they'll be ready in a minute," she said before taking a breath. She broke off a piece of her cookie. "After you... Things were--really bad," she said, offering him a sad smile. She knew this couldn't be easy to hear. "Tim kind of... shut down. And Cassie was--angry. Kind of scary-angry for a while, actually. But she's better now," she said quickly.

Bart leaned into Cissie's touch, smiling. He used to say he hated it, but after getting stuck in the Speed Force, no one ruffled his hair anymore. It turned out he kind of missed it once it was gone.

Munching on his cookie as slowly as he could, Bart tried not to flinch when Cissie started talking. Intellectually, he knew that he was friends with all these people, but he hadn't expected to hear how profoundly he had affected his friends. The worst part about the Speed Force was that there were times when he could see them, but he could never manage to get through to come back. Leaning his head against Cissie's knee, Bart sighed. "I'm sorry," he said softly.

When Bart apologized and leaned against her, Cissie started running her fingers through his hair soothingly. It hurt to see him upset, but--she was so glad to see him. "I'm sorry too," she said quietly. "It--we missed you. A lot. But you're here now. And things are--have been getting--better."

"Well, that's good," he said, leaning into her hand. "I missed you guys too." After a minute of silence, Bart shook himself. Time to stop being maudlin, that was for the Bats. "So how are you liking Elias?" Weren't Greta and Cassie here too? He nabbed another cookie.

Cissie smiled at the top of Bart's head, watching him eat. "It's fine--not much has changed around here, except for the room change. It just--wasn't really working, living with Cassie."

Noting sadly that all the cookies were gone, Bart nodded in sympathy. "That's too bad," he said, nudging Cissie's knee with his temple to reassure her of his presence. "How are things with Tim?"

Cissie felt her stupid, dopey grin return and she blushed. She pushed her hair back behind her ear and was a little grateful that Bart wasn't looking at her to see how silly she probably looked. "Um. Good. I mean... things are really good now. I can't wait until he finds out you're back."

Bart could tell how smitten she was by the tone of her voice, but politely refrained from teasing her about it. He was just happy Cissie was happy. And that he was back, and that she still wanted to be his friend. However... "That's hardly enough information, Ciss. Aren't girls supposed to go on and on about their boyfriends?" He laughed.

Cissie laughed with him and slipped off the bed to sit next to Bart on the floor. She caught his arm and hugged it--she was happy, having him here and being able to talk to him again. "I forgot you were such a gossip," she said, teasing and a bit relieved that he didn't seem to be freaking out about it. "Sorry. Do you want to know about Tim or Tim and me?"

Bart pretended to scowl, but he couldn't make himself get mad at her teasing. "I resent that," he muttered, grinning despite himself. Leaving the empty plate on the floor, Bart patted the hands around his arm. "Both!" he declared. "I want to get caught up on everything!"

Cissie leaned against Bart, smiling. It wasn't like she minded talking about Tim. "Well," she said slowly, trying to figure out where to start. "I don't know if you knew, but--I've kind of had a crush on Tim for ages. Not, you know, that I even knew it until I was kind of in too deep, I guess. You remember when Tim quit being Robin? We talked a lot--because I knew what he was going through. Anyway. Somewhere between then and when Kon died, I kind of fell for him. But then he went off on that trip, and I just never told him, because the timing was so bad. And then he came back and things were still such a mess, and then you--" She broke off, stumbling over the words and choking a little. Unconsciously, she gripped Bart's arm a bit tighter and dropped her head to his shoulder. She took a shaking breath, trying to find her voice again. She never liked thinking about those dark weeks following Bart's death.

"I kind of owe you," she said quietly. "Like--a lot. I... did a lot of thinking, after... About you. And Tim, and me, and what I wanted. And mostly about you, and what you would have told me if I had been smart enough to talk to you and ask you what I should do about Tim. I kind of thought--I figured--you'd tell me to talk to him and tell him how I felt. Because... life's too short and unpredictable and we've lost so much..." While she talked, forcing the words out as quickly as possible before she could censor them or hold them in, she turned her head and pushed her face into Bart's shoulder. "Anyway, I thought--I thought you'd tell me to tell him. So I did, some time after your funeral."

"Oh, Ciss..." Bart didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry."

Carefully removing his arm from her grip, Bart slid his arm around Cissie's shoulders and pulled her close. "I didn't know..." Even if he did, it really wouldn't have made much of a difference. It wasn't like he went into the Speed Force of his own free will. Besides, if he had known, he would probably have felt like the biggest jerk ever. "You did good, Cissie," he said, resting his cheek on the top of her head.

Cissie was grateful for the hug, taking the opportunity to hide her face against him and latch her arms around him. She wasn't entirely successful at continuing to hold back her tears, though she tried. "Yeah?" she asked shakily. "I--I tried." She hugged him closer, remembering Tim's reaction--he hadn't taken it well, and she knew he felt horrible about it now, but sometimes it still hurt to remember.

"Yeah," he replied, stroking her hair gently. "I'm sorry you had to go through that," he added, sighing. "You and Tim both." Grateful for the years he spent as a parent--even though boys were never as emotional as girls--Bart wasn't freaking out as much as he could. Besides, he wanted to be there for his friends. "You know I love you, right? All of you. No matter what happens."

Cissie repositioned a little to lean more comfortably against him. She took a deep breath, letting some of the tension melt away. "I love you too. We all do--that never changed. You know that, right?"

Bart leaned back against the side of Cissie's bed, pulling her with him until she was slumped against his side so he could hold her better. Being back in his short teenager body was still weird. Bart was used to having at least a few more inches in reach. "Yeah, I know." He smiled somewhat self-deprecatingly, breathing a laugh out his nose. "You just might have to remind me every once in a while, 'kay?"

She tilted her head back to look at him and give him a soft smile. "I think we can manage that. I've really missed you." She watched him quietly for a moment--the last time she'd seen him, he had looked a few years older, and now he was younger again... but seemed older. "Are you okay?"

Shaking his head in bemusement, Bart smiled. "I'm fine, sweetie." As soon as the words were out of his mouth, he had a mini-panic attack. Had he ever called her that before? He didn't think so, but they were friends a long time ago, for him. There were times when it still felt like he was an adult talking to a teenager, and not a boy of indeterminate age talking to a teenage girl. He didn't want to sound like he was moving in on Tim's girl, either. He had only just come back, alienating his friends would not be a wise first move.

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