Traditions
Author: dixid
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None
Summary: How the holidays are traditionally celebrated.
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"Where are you going? I thought you were going to help the others with the party planning?"
Kon ignored his best friend, choosing instead to continue his stomp down the hallway of the Tower. Reaching his room, he flung himself across his bed and put the pillow over his head, as if that could actually stop the conversation that was happening in the kitchen.
The rest of the team was gathered in the kitchen of the Tower, planning out what they hoped would become the annual "Titans Yuletide-Solstice-Chanukah-Christmas-Boxing Day-Kwanza-Diwali-Eid " party. Also known as the "Holiday Celebration", or simply "The Party" depending on who was talking. Party planning by any group of more than two people always involved a difference of opinion, and this planning meeting hadn't been any different.
Cassie and Bart were determined to throw a bash that outshone anything their older counterparts had done. Unfortunately, that's all they could agree on so far. Cassie had the closest to a traditional childhood, but Bart's holiday knowledge from his virtual reality upbringing was all-inclusive regarding holiday traditions.
After Kory had started explaining in great detail how different holidays were celebrated on her own world, someone had suggested that each Titan contribute something from their own holiday traditions. Conversation had spilled forth from everyone at once, comparing and contrasting every detail of past celebrations with family and friends. Turkey or ham, cookie decorating, caroling, stories about heirloom ornaments and holiday pageants.
Kon had taken the opportunity to slip out unnoticed, or as unnoticed as you could be in a room occupied by a Robin. Even though he wasn't actively making suggestions, Tim had been sitting in on the party planning, probably trying to head off potential security risks. He'd spoken up only once, to veto the live reindeer that Bart had wanted to rent for the party.
Kon rolled over onto his back and stared at the ceiling for a moment before pulling his pillow over his head in a gesture of frustration. Sometimes his teammates and so-called friends could be really dense. He was used to feeling like a freak around his classmates, but the Tower was supposed to be where he was with friends who understood him. Didn't they realize that he didn't have any kind of tradition to offer?
Cadmus Labs hadn't been big on celebrating holidays; it wasn't considered vital to his programming. Since he'd been on his own, he'd witnessed the holiday season on his own, but he'd never celebrated it in any meaningful way. At least nothing that could be called a tradition, unless day old takeout and the newest movie counted as tradition. He supposed he could ask the Kents about their traditions. They probably had a ton of customs, but he hadn't been living with them last winter, so he didn't have any first hand knowledge of how they celebrated. He'd just talked himself into calling Aunt Martha and asking what tradition he could co-opt when he felt the mattress dip slightly.
He removed the pillow and glanced up to see Tim looking down at him questioningly. Kon didn't offer an explanation for his abrupt departure, and after a long pause Tim said, "My parents weren't around much at the holidays, they were usually on a trip somewhere so I don't have any traditions either; unless you count stalking Batman and Robin until they stopped patrolling after midnight mass let out. Crime slows down on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, even in Gotham."
Kon appreciated the attempt at lightening the mood. It was rare that Tim was relaxed enough to be making jokes, even with his best friend, and he wanted to savor the moment. "So what are you gonna tell the others?" he asked.
"I'll make up something."
"You're going to lie to our teammates about your holiday traditions? You're going to end up on Santa's naughty list."
Tim pulled the pillow out of his hands then used it as a weapon to smack his prone friend. It made a rather fluffy weapon, but even a fluffy attack was still an attack and it couldn't go unchallenged. But not just yet; if he retaliated now, Tim would be expecting it, so he'd wait. He realized there was little chance of surprising Tim with pillow-attack retaliation, but honor demanded he at least try.
"What tradition are you going to make up a story about? I can't see anyone believing that you'd go caroling with your parents. Or Batman. Maybe you could tell them that you help Alfred decorate cookies for Santa every year?" Kon was trying to keep a straight face, but wasn't having much success.
In return Tim started offering suggestions of his own. "You could tell them you put out reindeer feed in the barn for Santa's reindeer."
They started trading ideas for increasingly ridiculous holiday traditions until finally Kon said, "You could say that Batman dresses up as Santa, and you dress up as his little elf."
"That was Dick, not me."
"What?" Kon gave Tim a stunned look; had he just heard that last statement correctly?
"Have you seen the original Robin uniform? I can't think of any other reason for those boots." Tim laughed, clearly amused at his older brother's choice of uniforms.
Perfect time to attack Kon thought, while Tim was so amused and hopefully, off guard. He reached one hand behind him for the other pillow, and with the other hand he grabbed Tim's wrists. When he'd secured Tim's hand to hold off the inevitable counter-attack, Kon used the other pillow to retaliate for the early injustice.
Tim attempted to break his hold by twisting then rolling out of Kon's grip. That move would have worked on anyone who didn't possess super strength, but it failed against a half-Kryptonian, only drawing Kon down on top of him.
Finding himself sprawled across his best friend, Kon decided there was really only one thing he could do.
"I've figured out what holiday tradition we can tell the others we keep. We'll just need to get one item to help decorate," he said.
"What?" asked Tim.
"Mistletoe," he answered as he leaned in to press his lips to Tim's.
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