#✦ connection: angry cuddles (jason todd & tim drake)

[normaltothemax]

Has once again carefully left food on Jason's side of the boarder between Crime Alley and the rest of the Bowery. "Soooooo I feel like we need to talk about the whole... vaguely dissociating in your safehouse after rescuing me from cuddle pollen side effects. Cause I distinctly remember you sounding kinda weirded out by it and I know for a fact it tends to up unnerve people." ((for Jason))

Fuck’s sake. This kid really just did not understand when he wasn’t wanted, did he? That, or he was more stubborn than a mule. For whatever reason, he’d apparently imprinted on Jason, decided that the Red Hood was a wonderful eating companion, and just kept bringing him food. At least he always stayed out of the Alley, even if only just.

Jason had given in fairly recently, had stopped sending street kids up to do his dirty work and just accepted the offerings, though he rarely stayed long enough to talk. Apparently Robin was in a chatty mood today. “We really don’t.” He rolled his eyes. “I’ve seen weirder.” Besides, he’d been far more concerned about Dick potentially decking him for the whole tracker thing, at the time.

@arobinwithoutbatman

[secondgenerationnerd]

Dance with Me

SpeedDemon first ball! Enjoy!

-----------------------------

Being a part of the Wayne family meant mandatory attendance to all galas and fundraiser balls. While most of them have discovered plenty of ways to stay entertained, they still dread the nights to come. Waiting for Cass and the other girls to come downstairs, the Batbrothers mill around the foyer, all cleaned up.

“Remind me to thank Mar’i again for watching Dali llama.” Jason resists the urge to run a hand through his gelled hair.

“’Course,” Dick chuckles, “She said it’s more fun than schmoozing with rich guys. Plus something about Damian being annoying as hell about it lately.”

The youngest Robin mumbles to himself, not paying attention to his brothers. Damian fiddles with his cufflink for the third time in five minutes.

“Aye, Chaparro, chill.” Jason yawns. “Not like you haven’t been to a thousand of these already.”

“It’s not that.” Damian keeps fiddling. His brothers wouldn’t understand. Tonight’s more than another gala. It’s the first gala that he actually has a proper date to. Well, a date that he wants to go with, not just escorting Mar’i. However, since Mar’i started dating Kent, the super had taken over that duty.

“You know, baby bat,” Dick teases, “It’s ok if you’re nervous.”

Damian’s jade eyes narrow at his older brother, “I don’t do ‘nervous,’ Grayson.”

“Oh, no. The heir doesn’t do nervous,” The teasing in Jason’s voice is undeniable, “No, what he does is sneak around for a few months with a certain—”

“Finish that sentence, Todd, and they won’t find a piece of you big enough to resurrect.” Years ago, there would have been a hell of a lot more venom behind his words. Now, the four brothers manage a bit of a laugh.

“Dami?”

Damian looks up to the top of the stairs, breath catching. The royal blue fabric seems to float off her freckled skin. Her fiery hair, normally tied up and out of the way, has been loosely curled with a small braided crown. As she descends the staircase with soft click-clack of her heels, Damian remains frozen.

Holy shit. This is his girlfriend

“Damian?” Tim snaps his fingers in front of his little brother’s face. “Irey, I think you broke him.”

“-tt-” Damian clicks his tongue, offering a hand to Irey as she steps off the staircase. “Nuri. You look…I feel as if stunning is too small of a word.”

Irey turns red at the compliment but still smiles at him. “Thanks, Dames. Milagro designed it based off a dress Diana Prince wore a long time ago.”

“I think it looks better on you.” Damian brings her hands up, kissing the back of them, before offering her his arm. Irey happily accepts it and lets him escort her out the door to the limo.

“Who is he and what did he do with the pain in the ass kid?” Jason asks his brothers. Dick snorts and claps him on the back.

“C’mon, Jaybird. Don’t want to leave them alone too long.”

The gala is as extravagant as every other one the siblings have been to. Bruce gave them the normal riot act on the way there—ignoring the fact two of his sons are fathers themselves at this point. His kids nod and give noncommittal answers as normal. Irey figdets in her seat, messing with her skirt. Until Damian takes her hand and squeezes it.

Damian can’t help but smile when Irey’s breath catches walking into the venue.

“Oh my gosh…” She looks around at the crowd. “This is… otherworldly.”

Damian notices the slight shake to her voice and slides his arm around her waist, “Just like any other mission. Only tonight we don’t have to worry about dying.”

“Why, Damian, is that you?” A sweet elderly woman approaches the young couple. Damian smiles politely at the stranger. “You’ve grown up so much since I last saw you. Looking more and more like your father.”

“With a bit of my mother as well.” Damian gestures to the woman, “Lady Estella Dubois, might I introduce—”

“Iris.” Irey shakes the older woman’s hand, “I’m Iris West.”

“The reporter?”

“That’s my aunt, Iris West-Allen.” Irey explains. “My father idolized her so when I was born, he gave me her name.”

“And who are your parents, Iris?” Lady Dubois kind tone eases a bit of the tension in Irey’s shoulder.

“My mother’s Linda Park-West, head of sports at Central City Picture News. My father, Dr. Wallace West, works at S.T.A.R. Labs on Theoretical Physics.” The pride for her parents is undeniable. Watching them struggle since she was little to where they are now does that to a kid.

“Well, it’s lovely to meet you.” Lady Dubois glances over at Dick chatting with a rather fat gentleman. “Richard! How’s your daughter?”

“Are you alright, my love?” Damian tucks a stray curl behind her ear. “You seem…on edge?”

“I’m ok, Damian. Promise.” He doesn’t believe the smile she gives him but doesn’t get the chance to argue. He can’t stand the schmoozing all the older socialites or the incessant flirting from the younger women. Never has really, the only difference is he’s much better at hiding the annoyance now.

“How goes it, little brother?” Tim asks as they grab drinks.

“You’d think introducing my girlfriend would deter the suggestions of private meetings.” Damian rolls his eyes, sipping the punch. He notices Irey standing with a group of girls he’s seen at a few other events. That look on her face is familiar, but he can’t place it.

“I’ve introduced my husband before,” Tim snorts. “Just had the other non-straight guys hitting on me for Bruce’s money.”

“You make it sound like Father’s exploting us.”          “Not directly. Just the cost of business.” Tim shrugs. Damian sees Irey heading outside, too fast for her to be ok.

Oh.

She wanted to run. That’s where he knows that look.

“Excuse me.” Weaving through the crowd, Damian makes his way outside. Irey paces back and forth on the balcony, tugging at her dress, messing with her hair. “Nuri?”

“I’msorryiwastryingtobethebestgirlfriendforyouandimfuckingeverythingupandyoutotallyhatemerightbecauseimnotliketheothergirlsherewhoall—”

“Irey.” Damian gently takes her hands. “Breathe, my love. You’re talking too fast.”

“I’m sorry.” Irey can’t meet his eyes. “I’m trying to be the girlfriend you need me to be—”

“Girlfriend I need you to be? What are you talking about?”

“I was trying to be the girl they’d expect you to date. Important, connected, better.” She pulls her hands away, crossing them across her belly. “I heard some of the girls talking. Asking what you saw in me. A few of them guessed why you were with me…”

“Irey…” Damian keeps his hands to himself. “Irey, please look at me.”

It takes her a minute, but she finally looks up at him.

“I’m with you because I love you. I love you because you’re intelligent and funny and kind and charming and a million other things. They don’t see how you make me smile. Or the way the sunlight makes your eyes shine. Or that sleepy pout you get first thing in the morning.” Irey smiles a bit at that. “I’m truly sorry if I made you feel like you had to change.”

“It wasn’t you. The way your dad was talking earlier, about not embarrassing everyone—”

“That’s because Grayson used to jump from chandilers, Todd would get into fist fights, and Drake would take in too much information. Cassandra’s slightly better but she’s still as chaotic as the others.” Damian shrugs. “I was an angry little shit.”

Irey breathes out a laugh, putting her hands on his chest. He covers the one over his heart with one of his own. Irey smiles softly, “How do you always manage to make me feel better?”

“I do believe it’s a part of my job description as boyfriend.” He holds her hips. “May I request something?”

“What?”

“Please stop introducing yourself as Iris. I didn’t fall in love with Iris; I fell in love with Irey.”

“I think I can do that.” With her heels on, it’s easier to kiss him. Even all dressed up, he still tastes like Damian—Tea with a bit of honey. Irey pulls back. “I love you, Damibear.”

“And I you, Nuri.” Damian looks back inside. “I’m not sure if you want to leave yet, but I was hoping to steal you for a dance or two.”

Irey looks inside. The girls from earlier watch them with sharp glares. Part of her wants to run. Run fast, run far, and don’t stop running. No one can hurt her when she runs. No one can catch her. Touch her. That part has always been the one she gives into.

But another part of her looks to Damian.

When her dad told her about lightning rods, she’d scoffed and written it off. But being with Damian, she understood what Wally meant about feeling grounded. It wasn’t a trapped feeling like she’d imagined it being. It’s secure, sure, but just as freeing as running is. Only this time, she has something to run to.

“Promise not to get mad if I step on your toes?”

Damian laughs and kisses her again. “I promise.”

They head back inside, Irey holding onto Damian’s arm. Together they move to the dance floor, heads held high. Irey laughs when Damian bows to her, curtsying in return. Pulling her close, he rests his forehead on hers. The soft music washes over them. Irey picks up the others in the room, watching them dance.

“Be right back,” Irey kisses him, walking away. Damian holds onto her hand until she’s too far and has to let go. He hears a group of girls gossiping nearby. He checks his phone, normally able to tune it out, until a question catches his attention.

“What does she have that we don’t?”

Damian turns to them, which makes them panic because they thought they were being quiet. “You want to know what she has that you don’t? Simple. Me.”

Irey stays the night at the Manor. Even though she could have run home in less than five minutes, she never turns down the chance to share a bed with Damian. His soft cotton sheets and warm arms make it hard to stay awake. “Dami?”

“Yeah?” He looks down at her, rubbing easy circles on her back, moving the t-shirt she’d stolen from him side to side. His dark hair still wet from his shower. Irey presses a kiss over his heart, cuddling closer to him.

“I like nights like this.”

“Why?” Callused fingers brush over her freckled cheeks.

“Because you’re more comfy than my pillows at home.”

        ��He chuckles, pulling the covers up over them. ��Go to sleep, habibi…”

         “Habibi, huh?” He can hear the sleepy smirk in her voice. “Guess I can expect a very good morning?”

         “Hush.”

         Irey hears the smile in his voice though, promising something good to come. That’s enough to let her drift to sleep…

[iphoenixrising]

Masterlist Part 2!

Again, so much love to @shmoo92 babe.

Here's the link for Masterlist 1

Tim-centric, cont:

Red Robin tweaks: BatDad & Boomerang | Fallen (ëWhat if Dick didnít catch Tim when he fell through the windowí; see also "DickTim Angst") | Kon catches Tim

Tim Angst:The Wrong Robin (for 800 Followers) | Broken Trust 1 & Broken Trust 2

Tim Drake Week: Day 6 (Firefly fusion) | Day 7 (Injury/Healing)

Whirlybird!!!! BABE MADE ME A WHIRLYBIRD & HC

Tim!X (AUs): Coffee Shop!AU | Tim the twisted Oracle | Superpowers | Trans!Tim Temperance: Temperance's Temptations on AO3 and art ! & Just Desserts Vampire!Tim HC & for 600 followers! & Bite Kink (it's naughty) | in the future Mute!Tim: One & Two & Three Mer!Tim: Ideas & Scaring Dami & Damian & Art & Titans Silver-Snow's Mer!Tim: Natant & Ideas

Kid!Tim: De-Aged!Tim: Trusting not the BatFam ... but the Titans Tiny!Tim (In which Tim joins the Bats earlier): Kid!Tim is discovered & Window Seat & the Fever & the Secret (for 500 Followers!) & The Wrong Bus Home for Tiny Birds (Convergence w/ NHFDB!Tim): One & Two Jason's Death (HCs): One & Two & Three

Justice is Blind (Blind!Tim AU): on AO3 and some amazing art by the incredible poison-basil!!! | One Asks: Who All Knows & Ra's, Tam & WE, & Jason & Ra's & Tech & Tech and Tam Two ("BatFam") | Three ("Waking Up") | Four | Five | Six (slight NSFW SuperBats)

Converging the AUs:

"Feels" by iphoenixrising , a graphic by Miss Coco Chips | Convergence

Home for Tiny Birds: NHFDB!Tim visits Tiny!Tim

Fracture!Tim meets Talon!Tim & Dr!Tim | Sated (NSFW HC)

Fracture: the Multiverse & Future!AU

Boy All the Bad Guys Want:

Want | Battle for the Cowl, ScareRobin | Lex Luthor

Prime: One & Two & Domestic Syndrome

Pamphlets: One (based on this ) & Two

Joker Junior: One & Two

Jean Paul One & Two

Talon!AU: in which Tim is a Talon & RR without Tim & Mindfuckery & Titans on the Hunt | Gray Son must Die (in which babe wrote most of the thing) & Functionally Immortal & Brainwashed, Hurting, Dissociating, Angry, and Lost & the Assassin & the Talon | Refuge w/ Shiva & A Killer | Rebuilt & vs Fracture!Tim

Dr!Tim (DickTimJay; where Tim is a surgeon and DickJay are vigilantes)

Meta: on AO3 | Art IíM FUCKING SCREAMING WITH JOY! | How it all Began (light NSFW) | Follow-Up

The Mentor; The Suit; Med School | Hobbies & Tony (HCs) | Dickís Acrobatic Talents (suprise!, it's smut!) | Steph & Batgirl | The Joker | Integration (HC) | Roof Rat | Wicked Way

The Submissive & Safeword (HC) & Safewords Out & Sub-Drop

London Bridge: is Falling & (Missing Scene) & Afterward w/ guest star, Tony Stark!

Four Times the Bats called Doctor Drake | What's in a Name (HC) | Ultimate Fanboy | Pet Project & Ra's (HC) | Dancing | Meet and Greet | cute!Tim, overwraught!Dick (NSFW; adult themes)

"Hi, Honey" (JayTim) | Moana (w/ Layla!) | Jay/Tim Smut (for 300 followers!) | Communication | Drake Industries (HC) Arkham Riot: One & Two

Convergence w Fracture!Tim | "Crucial Body Part" (HC) | Suicide | Overly Protective!Robin & DamiTim: Crush & warming to each other | PTSD (for 500 Followers!) | Date night (for 700 followers!) | Doctor/Nurse Roleplay | Birthday Present (for 400 followers!) | Robin (for 500 Followers! very NSFW; Iím absurdly proud of this and Dr!Tim getting one night in the cape. Bad ass Dr. Drake is no slouch. Also with the help of THIS ASK !)

The Surgeon, The Captain, and the Soldier (for 600 followers!) | SteveTonyBucky (for 700 followers!)

BatFam Prompts, Drabbles, & Thoughts

BatFam headcanons: BatDad | Characterization | General & Dami | Robins & their Other Selves | Outlaws & Titans | Slade/Dick | Terry McGinnis | the Sads

Misc Ficlets: Accents & Motherhenning | Bats & Birthdays | Concussion Confessions | GenderBend | Robins & the Cold | Staypuff | Training ("Hilarity Ensues") | DickTim & a fight & Robin Cuddles | "Let Sleeping Robins Lie" (for 100 followers!) | BatFam & Tim with a Cold

Interest (see also "DickTimJay: Destroyed")

Soulmates (Robinpile)

SuperBats

BatFam Big Bang: on AO3 Day 1: Cuddles | Day 2: Sick | Day 3: Fight! | Day 4: Vacation | Day 5: Nightmare | Day 6: Best Rescue | Day 7

Fic Recs: Funeral & Dr Oz by awkwardbluefish Calling It by reallyautomaticvoid

Damian

Headcanons: on Tim & Shiva | Characterization | as a Boyfriend and NSFW specifically w/ Jason and also with Dick

Dami and ...: Dick & Tim at the Arcade | Tim & ìDonít panic, butóì | Comfort | Robin's Redemption (for 400 followers!)

Fic Rec: DamiTim by hauntedlittledoll

Jason

Jason Todd's mouth & Languages (HC) | Jason's Accent & its inspiration

v. the Pit and then I saw Counting Bodies like Sheep

Misc: Jason, the Outlaws, and the Joker | Crochet | RHatO #25!UA | Silence

Heavy in your Arms: One & Two (Angst; Based off the song with the same title by Florence + the Machine)

Connected things

DickTimDami: Lazy Morning | Left Standing | Raís al Ghul gets the memo | Dami Feels

Night Sky: One & DickJayTim (HC) & "Gotham and Explosions" (for 100 followers!) & "Poke" & Two & Three & Finale | (Terry: One & Two )

Marvel

Forward Momentum (MCU; Steve/Bucky; eventual Steve/Bucky/Tony): on AO3 Nice Things | Steps | Family | Why aren't you an Engineer? | The Situation | Coffee | Observation | Hurt/Comfort (for 100 followers!) | Medical (HC)

Marvel AOB Attempt: One | Two | Crossroads | Three | Tony & Omegas | Tony & Heat

Misc

Miraculous Ladybug Play | The Way to His Heart Fic Rec: crossover w/ BatFam by miss-choco-chips

Voltron (They all stink, please see @satire-please for better stuff): Team Dynamics | Left Behind | Waking | You, Not the Lion

[normaltothemax]

There's... a child curled up on Jason's sofa. There was not a child there about five minutes ago. There wasn't anyone there recently other than Jason himself. Said child soon say up, yawned and promptly squeaked in... surprise? Fear? Oddly familiar pale icy eyes looked around before settling on Jason. "E-Excuse me, Mister. Where am I?"

What.

Jason wasn’t sure who the hell this kid was—his eyes were strangely familiar, but Jason couldn’t place them—or how the fuck he’d gotten into one of the Red Hood’s safehouses unscathed. What he did know was that the kid looked totally freaked out. Which, understandable, considering he’d just woken up in a (probably) strange place with a (definitely) strange man staring curiously at him.

Raising his hands to show he meant no harm, Jason sat himself down in a chair on the opposite side of the room, both making himself smaller and giving the kid some space. His Red Hood gear was thankfully stashed away, so he didn’t think he necessarily needed to worry about his identity remaining a secret, here. Most likely, the kid had just been looking for a warm place to crash. (Though, why he’d go through all the trouble of getting through Jason’s traps was a mystery. One he intended to get to the bottom of.)

“You’re alright, kid.” He kept his voice soft, gentle. Reassuring. “My name’s Jay. What’s yours?” The more he could find out about the kid, the better. He needed to figure out where he belonged. Whether or not he was one of the street kids, though he certainly didn’t look like one. He was too clean, his clothes were too nice. The kid probably had a home, and if he was some sort of runaway, Jason needed to find out why. (He needed to know if he had to smash some heads in.) “You’re, uh, in my apartment, actually.” Yeah, he wasn’t calling this a safehouse to the kid. Not a fucking chance. “How’d you get in here, buddy? You’re not in trouble or anything, I’m just a little confused.”

@arobinwithoutbatman

[normaltothemax]

Do it, coward ((context: Jason made some kind of threat that we both know he's not following through on and Tim is a menace))

Jason glared at the boy for a moment, eyes narrowed as he seethed. What a piece of work. Asshole didn’t even have the courtesy to pretend to be worried that Jason would follow through on his threat of kneecapping him. Tim just stayed where he was, curled up under a blanket on Jason’s couch for the umpteenth time for reasons Jason still couldn’t figure out. And Jason couldn’t even actually follow through with his threat, because the kid had grown on him Dick would throw a bitch fit if he did.

Damn him.

“…If you get hungry, I’m making you eggs.” That was at least a promise he could keep. So…yeah. Take that, Timberly.

@arobinwithoutbatman

[normaltothemax]

Brooklyn 99 ❛ you’re smiling. it’s very weird. like seeing a turtle out of its shell. ❜ ((to Jason from Tim))

“What, I’m not allowed to be happy about something?” Jason just makes sure to smile even wider, even brighter, in the hopes of creeping the kid out. Sure, he doesn’t really smile around the kid (doesn’t have much of a reason to), but that doesn’t mean Jason never smiles. He smiles all the time! Just usually where no one else can see it.

@arobinwithoutbatman (x)

[normaltothemax]

“Glad my security meets your standards,” he remarked dryly, rolling his eyes. That wasn’t the sort of good news Jason wanted to hear. He wanted to hear Tim say he’d found Dick, that he was at xyz address and Jason could go in guns blazing.

Looked like he wasn’t going to be getting that today.

He swore, snarling as he gunned it, pushing his bike to its (and his) limits. Who the fuck not only knew about Jason’s security systems, but was able to bypass them and loop the footage? Even worse was Dick just vanishing from any and all traffic cams. Whoever took him was smart. This hadn’t been a spontaneous kidnapping, they’d obviously put planning into it. They were good, and that was bad for Jason and Tim.

“I’ll check it out after I check out the warehouse. Some of the other kids might’ve seen something, or there might be something there that the cameras missed.” He wasn’t infallible, and he didn’t pretend to be—the same went for his security systems. “I’ll call you back when I’m done there. If you find something first, call me.” And with that, he hung up.

It wasn’t much longer before he arrived at the warehouse, bike screeching to a stop. A number of kids burst from the warehouse, alarmed by the noise, but most settled slightly at the sight of the Red Hood.

Only slightly, because he was so clearly agitated, waves of fury all but rolling off him.

He tried to reign it in a bit, not wanting to freak out any of the kids. Had to take several deep breaths before he trusted himself to even get off of his bike. Even still, a couple of the kids left, still not quite comfortable with him and not wanting to risk his ire, despite the fact that Jason would never hurt any of the kids, his kids. Unfortunately, some of them had yet to learn that.

It would come with time.

When he felt a little less like he was likely to explode, he climbed off of his bike and started walking towards the warehouse to look for clues.

His fingers stilled over the keyboard as Jason explained that he'd received a note. That... Oh he *really* didn't like those implications. A note given to Jason by way of some street kids; logically, they would be street kids in Hood's area because obviously they would trust him. He's defending them. Hood's the one on the ground tackling the immediate problems right on the edge of the major systemic problems, of course they're gonna like him. Makes perfect sense really.

With that address, Tim immediately grabbed a spare laptop. He might be in the Cave right now and could have multiple things up at once on the huge screeen but he knew better than to do these searches on that computer. If anything, he was just borrowing its processing power and displaying the video feeds on his laptop. Plus with the various defences both of his own making and Oracle's, this should stay secret from B at the very least. Oracle... there was no way to keep anything secret from her. Even at her day job, she stayed somewhat aware of who was using her programs.

Still, he decided to grab a second spare laptop he kept stashed here to search up the warehouse address Jason gave him. His fingers danced across the keyboard, meeting some resistance to Jason's cameras but eventually managing to slide in. he would have to keep fighting for that access but in a rush, it was better than nothing and he'll take it. Hm... nothing interesting here. Not even the sight of someone leaving a note. But there were a lot of kids, all sneaking in, some led in by Jason.

Huh... guess B wasn't the only one with an adoption habit. He's keeping that to himself though.

Skipping around the warehouse footage is easy so he'll just let that play for now and look back at the footage tracking Dick. Okay... he made it out of Gotham and over the Bay no problem. No one turning up following him at least nothing obvious. He makes it back to the mainland, leaves one of the coastal cities and then he just... doesn't turn up on the next camera. Tim huffed in frustration and rewound the footage again and again, trying to find *something* helpful. He can see a couple fo people getting way too close but that's just New Jersey drivers for you. Everything else gets checked, there is a great deal of swearing in his head as he notices something that he knows Hood is going to hate, and he finally reports back.

"Alright Hood. Good news, the security on your cameras is pretty decent, I spent the entire time fighting to stay in. Good job." His tone cool and clipped, logical. Practical. Almost cold.

Robin is a cheeky magical snarky little thing when he's poking at goons and reassuring victims. But deep in casework like this? All business.

"Bad news. Fifteen minutes of warehouse footage was looped, working on tracking down the source and that was likely when the note exchanged hands to one of your kids. Secondly, Dick made it back to the mainland, got about a third of the way to Bludhaven and just vanishes off the cameras. Sending you an address now to investigate."

[normaltothemax]

Rolling his eyes behind his helmet as Tim talked, Jason walked over to the offered food, picked it up, and started back towards the edge of the roof. “You seem to think we’re gonna be hanging out more than we actually are.” The amount of which would be not at all, for the record. Jason and Tim weren’t buddies. Robin and the Red Hood weren’t even coworkers, for all Jason was concerned. Jason not actively trying to kill the little twerp didn’t mean jack shit.

“Actually,” he turned as he reached the fire escape, “no. You seem to think I give a shit about any of that. So let me just clear the air real quick: I don’t. We’re not friends, Robin. We don’t work together and I couldn’t give half a shit about you being weird in your civvies. I don’t care, Replacement. Me helping you out one time doesn’t change that. Get it through your thick skull.”

With a sarcastic smile the younger couldn’t see, he held up the takeout bag in his hand. “Thanks for the food.” And with that, he dropped down onto the fire escape and started making his way down.

"Yeah you probably have." He shrugged, settling on his side of the rooftop. "But you should be in the know anyway." Even if it was kind of terrifying him to have this conversation. "I mean, how would you tell the difference between me being under the influence of someone's pet chemistry project and me just having a bad brain day? Nightwing knows what signs to look and listen for and knows how to help on the rare occasion those two different things intersect."

Getting stuck in a fear hallucination whilst fighting off a meltdown from overstimulation? Not fun. Zero out of ten, would not recommend. And hopefully Jason would never see him in that state, whether fear toxin was involved or not.

"Plus, if you saw me in my civvies, how would you know if I'm undercover, in trouble, just mildly uncomfortable or again having a bad brain day? So yeah. For the sake of not accidentally getting in each other's way and having miscommunications? We should probably talk about it."

He bit into his own serving of food, a healthy chicken caesar wrap, mostly to avoid thinking too much about how exactly to word this to Jason. Would he understand? What if he made terrible word choices? Nope. Stop thinking about it. Just focus on the food and on Jason.

[normaltothemax]

The kid’s immediate response was so proper and polite it had Jason’s brows lifting in surprise. Definitely not a street kid, then. It sounded like the kid came from Bristol, or something, which made this all the more confusing. Why would a wealthy kid from Bristol be by himself, breaking into an apartment in Crime Alley?

And then he said his name and Jason’s brain screeched to a halt with the sound of a record scratching.

What.

What?!

Tim Drake. Timothy freaking Drake as a literal baby. Maybe five or six years old. Fell asleep at home, woke up in Jason’s safehouse. What the fuck?

The Mister Jay made him tense, Harley’s voice giggling in his ear. He had to force himself to take a breath and unclench. He was trying not to freak the kid, Tim, out. “Just Jay. No mister, alright kiddo?” Despite his best efforts, he still sounded slightly strained. Clearing his throat, he tried again.

“That’s alright. Like I said, you’re not in trouble. I just wanna figure out how you got here so I can figure out how to get you home.” Which became infinitely more complicated with the reveal of his name. The kid would be expecting his parents or his nanny or whoever. Not Bruce or Dick. Even if Jason could get in contact with them, how the fuck would he explain the fact that Tim was deaged somehow? “Yeah, we are, but I think you’re a long way from home, Tim. You’re in Park Row.” Hopefully that wouldn’t sound as scary as Crime Alley.

He pulled out his phone and shot Dick a text, desperately hoping he’d reply with an immediate solution: Tim is a literal baby and in my safehouse wtf do I do???????

"Hello Jay, it's nice to meet you." The response was so immediate, almost rehearsed, but he still looked incredibly nervous, eyes flickering around the room. "My name is Timothy Drake."

He was sitting up now, back straight and hands neatly folded in his lap though he was playing with his fingers. Little feet, still in socks, swung lightly off the edge of the seat. "I-I like to be called Tim though." More looking around, rapid and not all that coordinated, like his movement could no longer be contained despite his best efforts. "I dunno-" He cut himself of, scowling to himself before trying again. "-I don't know how I got here, Mister Jay. I fell asleep at home."

On the bright side, Mister Jay seemed to be nice. He was quiet and kind and being careful and staying away but that was fine. He was used to that. "I'm very sorry for breaking into your home. Are we still in Gotham?"

He needed to at least know that. If he was still in the city, then he could just ask this kind man for a phone and call home and then Mrs Mac would be right over in a cab. No harm done. She's probably scared right now. She's a nice lady, he really hoped he hadn't scared her.