#plus one cissie lol

[burning-quesadilla]

They’re so *shakes hands violently*

[kennys-parka-jacket]

I'm too lazy to find it, but when I was newer to the fandom I made a post about how the other guys' genderbent names were mostly consistent while kenny's was all over the place. I'd like to formally apologize cuz that wasn't accurate at all lol

[sliipppy]

Self Indulgent Young Justice/Teen Titans 2003 Relationship and Sexuality Headcanons

Cassie and Kon convince themselves they like each other in Young Justice because they're both gay and closeted. They do love each other, but not romantically. They confuse that for attraction. Plus, I think Cassie is a lesbian stereotype, and Kon is like a gay man stereotype, so it makes sense that the two would go for each other. When they finally get together, they don't kiss because they tell their friends its cause "they both wanna take things slow". Sometimes they'll hold hands (scandalous)

Meanwhile, Cassie is like madly in love with Cissie but doesn't realize it because that's just how best friends are. Plus, she has the whole 'crush on Kon' thing going. I know everyone and their mom loves TimKon, and don't get me wrong, so do I! But in Young Justice, Tim and Kon are constantly butting heads. I don't think Kon starts liking Tim like that until the end of young justice, and he starts to like REALLY like him during Teen Titans.

Cissie and Anita kissed once at a sleepover but never told anyone. Young Justice for Cissie is like a crush fest. She's a bisexual icon, and she's had a crush on every single member of the team at some point (but her most serious ones were Cassie and Anita). She kissed Tim on the cheek in that one panel. She had a crush on Kon in the beginning, and I like to think she had a small crush in Bart but got over it pretty fast, because I've always saw Bart and Cissie as like brother and sister kinda lol (I always think of the panel where she comforts him about Max during the intergalactic baseball arc.)

Cissie can't decide whether she likes Anita or Cassie more and she also can't really come to terms with the fact that she might like girls.

Anita was basically always solid in the fact that she's bisexual. While the kiss with Cissie definitely awakened something in Cissie, Anita was like, "That was nice, but I think we're better as friends." She dates Slobo but doesn't really like him like him, but she thinks he's endearing, so the two are just a generic silly freshman year couple. Yeah, they won't last, but it's cute while it lasts, and they'll be friends when it ends. Anita's dad is super chill and had some "if you're gay I'll till love you the same." talk with her after he saw her concerning obsession with Diana Ross.

Greta hated Stephanie at first because she had a one-sided crush on Tim and was jealous of Stephanie because of it, but she gets over it and develops a crush on Stephanie. (This is canon, trust me. This is my craziest pair, I think, but trust me on one-sided GretaSteph)

Teen Titans era – later teens, Cassie and Kon are on and off dating. Kon and Tim start to get closer. They like eachother. It's so obvious to everyone else. Kory and Donna think it's cute. Cassie meanwhile, still madly in love with Cissie, beings her toxic doomed yuri arc with Rose Wilson. Rose is her official gay awakening. Her and Rose have the most tragic situationship of all time for like a year.

Okay skip forward to the sadness. Kon dies, leaving Cassie and Tim more confused and sad then ever. Cassie loved Kon, really loved Kon, but not in that way, which makes her feel even more guilty about his death because she felt that she was lying to him while he was alive and she still didn't understand her feelings. Tim on the other hand is going FUCKING crazy. He just lost Steph, then his dad, and now Kon and he's not understand ANYTHINGGG!!! Bro tries to clone Kon and when Cassies like "bro what the hell are you doing?!" It causes like this falling out between the two despite the fact that Cassie and Tim were literally bestie because they both loved Kon so much in such different ways and had all this pent up confusion...and then we get to the infamous panel where they make out while crying. In their shared grief and confusion in their own emotions they kiss. It's weird and both of them literally hate it because they literally are like siblings to eachother also she's a lesbian and Tim just lost like 3 of his actual lovers in the span of a year (Steph, Darla, and Kon) so it was weird and fucked up but they were weird and fucked up.

Skip forward, and Kon comes back to life. Everything's happy! Yay! Kon and Cassie have a heart-to-heart and breakup because they're both gay. Cassie asks Cissie out. Tim comes out as bi and dates Bernard. Kon is like, "omg I have a chance," but it is also sad because like Tim has a boyfriend that isn't him. Stephanie is like "no bro he totally likes you" Eventually, they break up. Idk why bro. (I'm not really a Bernard fan, sorry, remember the self-indulgent in the title?) and Steph convinces Kon to ask him out (I love thar after Urban Legends Stephanie and Kon are like, best friends) and BOOM timkon. Everyone is happy. Happily ever after.

And rip Greta and Anita, we haven't seen you in forever miss you queens 🙏🙏🙏

[whilomm]

a completely unproven but sensibleish sounding theory regarding discrepancies between "male" and "female" tattoo charts i found on google

so, had a discussion last night regarding these Tattoo Pain Charts that I see posted a lot, specifically this one that depicts "female" and "male" pain maps, which seems to be posted across various sites (including "reputable" ish ones like healthline)

to head off the obvious question a lotta ppl on tumblr would probs ask, "okay what does this mean for trans people?": fuck if i kno. Like, fat distribution probs plays a role meaning it will probs depend partially on hormone status ("do you got tits? big or small hips?" etc) but also none of the sites im seeing. get into that. they just kinda tend to drop this chart in there and not explain jack shit. when i say "men" and "women" thruout this, assume i mean "cis men" and "cis women" bc i assume these are based on the cissies and fuck if i kno how this applies to trans ppl

anyway, at least some aspects of this chart seem to make sense. Apparently major factors in tattoo location pain tend to be how close it is to bone, how thin the skin is, and whether its fat or muscle covering the area. so, if the women they surveyed for these things tended to have more fat on their hips relative to the men surveyed, itd make sense that you might see more of them rating the hips as less painful. same thing if a lotta the men they surveyed had more muscle in certain areas.

BUT.

personally, there are a couple bits that look uh. weird to me.

NOW, of course, I have no data to prove these charts are bunk due to not being a researcher and only having one (1) tattoo, but. they look weird right? well, I decided to look at the sources (at least the ones i could find), and on the healthline article, the source for the discrepancy in gender pain levels is this paper:

...now, I can't find if like. the graphic is directly pulling from this paper, or if the healthline article is just sourcing it and the graphic was made using a different paper or was just made independently, but still, the paper has some interesting bits to look at.

overall, the paper looks solid enough to my non expert eyes. theres a couple of weird bits, like all the stuff about the sexual origins of tattooing which. fuck, i dunno. maybe. but It seems like the overall conclusion the paper came to was that there actually wasnt that huge of a difference between perceived pain across men and women surveyed, tho (unless i missed it) it doesnt specify if it means overall whole body averages, or if it means area per area (but i was skimming so. mightve missed it lol). it does note that there were differences in pain LENGTH after tattooing tho, but that also might have to do with the size and type of tattoos gotten

the paper does take care to acknowledge a few problems in methodology, which I think might be relevant:

there was some difficulty in finding people to survey right after they got the tattoo, because a lotta ppl they asked said no they were tired. fair.

because of that, a lotta the data was taken somewhat significantly post tattooing, which can majorly effect the perception of the pain (asking about st that happened 5 minutes ago vs 5 months ago)

pain is subjective. duh.

generally, the men surveyed got bigger and thus more time consuming tattoos than the women surveyed. This effects the type of pain experienced apparently (dull pain, sharp pain, radiating pain) and of course general levels of pain.

people may report more or less pain in an effort to look "tough", and this might be more prevalent in men

pain perception might be affected by how many tattoos someone has and thus how used to tattoos they are, plus a lotta stuff about "blocking out the pain" in various ways, but "participants were not asked whether this was their first or subsequent tattoo", so that might skew the results

the paper outright says there were a LOTTA limitations and more research is needed

which ya kno, is all pretty interesting. So, the results could easily have been skewed by stuff like this being participants first tattoo, and men mightve self reported less pain in gen, hmm..... this leads me to my theory for why at least a couple of the weird spots on the charts exist:

these charts might be skewed by popular locations for first/only tattoos, especially in the womens chart. the pinterest zones*, if you will.

*authors note: this is not to diminish these small tattoos in these specific areas, just noting that these are very popular areas specifically for getting mini tattoos, and places where a lotta ppl, mostly women, get their only tattoo. theyre trendy and make good pinterest pics ya kno? theyre cute. Also, the author literally just got a mini tattoo on their wrist and thus can reclaim.

my theory is that at least some of the survey results were skewed by the fact that some of the red areas just happen to be super popular for cute lil tattoos that a lotta ppl get as their first/only tat, especially the wrist. search "mini tattoos" on pinterest, and youll see a ton of wrist tats! youll also see a lot of ankles, clavicles, and. ouch, at least a couple of inner elbows. yeah. no. dont like that one. but my theory is that for at least a portion of the women surveyed, it went like this:

woman gets first and possibly only tattoo, specifically one of the cute mini wrist tattoos that are trendy

because its her first tattoo, she doesnt have much of a frame of reference for how painful different areas are, and also stuff like being nervous/tensing up mightve made the experience more painful in gen

when asked to complete the survey she says that she got it on her wrist, when asked about the pain levels thinks "oh yeah, it hurt like hell! hm, 8 out of 10 pain wise i guess?"

now the survey has a buncha woman who got a trendy tat in a specific area, rating it highly bc it was their first tattoo and they were nervous so it hurt more and they dont have a frame of ref, and that skews the data

thus, woman's pain bracelet.

like i said i have no proof of this but like. even if these charts used different survey results, the same or similar research limitations mightve been present, and unless they only solicited responses from ppl who are tatted up head to toe they probs got a lotta ppl who only have one/a couple of tattoos, including a lotta woman who got trendy wrist/ankle tattoos. like. maybe? maybe not but Maybe. or maybe women are just biologically disposed to Pain Wrists. and we dont have data on how this applies to trans people of various genders, because of course we dont. why would the people making these graphics care about that.

quick someone find out nonbinary people's tattoo weakpoints.

...also idk whats up with the stigmata. like. i get that the palm is probably Bad Hurty. lotsa nerves there. but not the fingers??? theres nerves AND bones! maybe its like. idk, asking dudes with hand tattoos and they say "oh yeah like the center of the palm and the back of the hand were the worst parts" and instead of writing it down correctly (most of the area is orange, but those bits specifically are red) they write down "hand tattoos cool 👍 EXCEPT STIGMATA!!!"

anyway. this is written very rambly. but theres my theory. these maps are at least partially a heatmap of popular first/only tattoo spots, which skews the data maybe. or maybe these graphs are complete bullshit based on no data really. fuck man idk. pain bracelet.

[thequiver]

1, 2, 3, 4, 6GA, 11, 14GA, 20GA, 21, 24, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 37, 38, 41, 42GA, 48, 50. Please and thank you.

1. Who's your favorite character and why? So I don't.... have one. I have a lot of characters that I like hyperfixate on? But I don't necessarily think I have a favorite. I definitely do have favorites but not one in particular. So like Ollie, Roy, Mia, Connor, Dinah, Emi, Jade, David, Pietro, Wanda, Terry, Kurt, etc.

2. Who's your favorite supporting character and why?

I don't.... think I actually tend to classify characters as "supporting characters" to me they're all just.... characters, but uh... Shado.

3. Who's your favorite comics hero/sidekick duo?

GREEN ARROW AND SPEEDY

4. answered already!

6. Who's a character you love seeing interacting with Green Arrow?

for Ollie I LOVE seeing him interact with Shado- and for Connor I really like seeing him interact with his civilian family and Master Jansen!

11. already answered!

14. What's your favorite thing about character Green Arrow?

for Ollie I love all of his contradictions, they make such a fun character, and for Connor I just really adore the depth to his character, how strong he is and his constant desire to be better and do better in really meaningful ways

20. If you were given a comic run for character Green Arrow, what would you write about?

Definitely a book with both Connor and Ollie teaming up as Green Arrow and sort of them working to find a balance in that dynamic for sure, definitely push and pull in their methods of being Green Arrow, sort of showcasing how they learn from each other

21. Share a favorite piece of comics lore.

GA writers have been investigated by the CIA :)

24. What's your favorite crossover event?

I'm really fond of the Battle of Muir Island, which is apparently a lot more niche than I thought it was

26. If you got sucked into a comic, which one would you pick?

uh..... this would end HORRIBLY FOR ME, but Once and Future

29. What are some of your favorite comics blogs?

definitely @batphobique @lomakes @cissie-queen-jones @zibah-ho and @lesbianspeedy plus more friends but is late and I am bad at remembering urls

30. What's been a good change to comics status quo?

definitely hit or miss but greater understandings of mental health and the inclusion of more diverse characters - I am NOT saying these are always done well, but just the fact that they're existing is something that gives me more hope for the Big 2 especially

31. Shine a light on a character you think deserves more love.

JAY GUTHRIE AND RUTH ALDINE

32. Who are two characters you'd like to see interact more?

DAVID HALLER AND ERIK MAGNUS LEHNSHERR

33. What's your favorite tv show adaptation?

X-Men: Evolution babey

34. What's your favorite movie adaptation?

It has SO MANY FAULTS but the vibes of X-Men First Class were immaculate (also X-2)

35. What's your favorite video game adaptation?

much to the chagrin of my boyfriend and my students, I do not play video games nor am I super into watching other people play video games

37. Any characters you used to dislike but now you like? What changed your mind?

I used to really not like Pyro, but I'd only seen him in the movies and in X-Men: Evo, but I just came to really enjoy him in the comics, all it took was actually reading lol

38. What's your favorite comic book trope?

"Any last words?" being said by an adversary and then their opponent not dying- it gets me every time

41. What's a comic that keeps on giving (you enjoy rereading)?

Green Arrow: Quiver, but issue specific Legion of X #6

42. What comic had the best characterization of Green Arrow?

For Ollie it's O'Neil or Grell, and for Connor it's Dixon

48. What's your favorite elseworld/AU story?

I've never really been into elseworlds like I like making my own AUs and such, but idk... I'm a canon compliance bitch they're just not my thing

50. Share anything you'd like to about a character of your choice - a favorite fic, comic panel, an original work you made, anything!

okay so I bought this super awesome sticker of David holding his father's skull with a Hamlet reference on it and I've had to explain the context to at least 10 of my coworkers and it never gets old

[clambuoyance]

I want to read the dc comics, but I have no idea where to start. Which one do I read first?

I gave recs for what I started over here and they’re mainly what I started with so you can understand what I draw, but here are some more :) when I first started reading comics I went for shorter ones but as you read you get exposed to characters and you’re like “I wanna read more of them” and then it all spirals from there. I think it helped me get used to reading comic bullshit lol. I only started reading this year so there’s a lot I haven’t read out there.

1. Supersons 2016 (very cute and more lighthearted, three series, finished so it’s about 30 ish issues in total i think, Damian Wayne/Robin and Jonathan Kent/Superboy are the sons of Batman and Superman and they get into shenanigans and have a cute friendship. I really like these ones😊)

2. Young Justice 1998 (older so dunno if you wanna start with it, but it’s fun and wacky and I love it, 55 issues plus some crossover/tie in issues so probably like 60 ish issues, features Tim drake/robin, superboy/Conner kent, impulse/Bart Allen, wonder girl/Cassandra sandsmark, greta Hayes/secret, arrowette/cissie king jones, plus more like empress/anita fite, slobo, and red tornado.)

3. Graduation day (mini comic that is 2 or 3 issues about breaking up yj and the titans smh smh) then the core four (Tim, Bart, kon, cassie) join the teen titans

Teen titans 2003 (grittier and edgier than yj but has it’s nice character moments here n there, about 100 issues, but I’m not gonna lie if Conner isn’t in the issue I kinda zoned out or skimmed it ummm >_>)

4. Batman urban legends. ( ongoing, anthology of several stories and characters, good if you wanna meet a lot of Gotham based characters. This was like my first legit exposure to dc comics specifically so I’m putting it here)

5. World’s Finest 2022 (ongoing, Um I think there’s 5 or 6 issues out rn. It’s revisiting Batman, Robin (Dick grayson), and Superman’s first years together and it’s reallyyyyy cooooooool. I love the vibes and art. Feels very authentically comic book-y. Dan mora is my favorite dc artist Honestly . Lots of others show up too like Supergirl and Doom Patrol 😊Actually this is Probably my fave out of the new comics)

6. Batgirls 2022 (ongoing but there’s like 9 issues out I think??, features Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, and Barbara Gordon, who have all held the mantle of batgirl. Also the art slaps.)

7. Batgirl 2000 (70 issues, about Cassandra cain’s run as batgirl, I haven’t finished it but Its like a really lauded run and is well written so go read it)

8. Batgirl 2009 (26 issues I think, this is about Stephanie brown’s run as batgirl, she is my beloved I love her so much and her jokes are so😖💜)

9. Red Robin 2009 (26 issues I think?, runs parallel to Batgirl 2009 and Batman and Robin 2009, I put this one last bc I feel like it needs a Lot of context unlike the others where you can just jump into it but it is short and It was also one of my first comics so 🧍🏻‍♀️. Basically Tim drake had a solo run (Robin 1993) but it’s over 100 issues and I haven’t even read all of em bc there’s. So much. So if u wanna read more tim drake stuff I’d suggest looking up a reading list bc he debuts in the Detective Comics issues and then gets his own solo. Anywaysss so basically a lot of shit happened lots of friends n family died or “died” leaving Tim in a pretty bad place. Bruce is assumed dead, so Dick becomes Batman and makes Damian his Robin, and Tim takes up the Red Robin mantle. okay actually you can easily pick up the context when u read so nvm😗✌️)

I was gonna put more but I’m on mobile and hit the photo limit ☹️ Kon and Bart have their solos, I started reading The New Teen Titans from the 80s, Damian has a recent robin run, and I’m planning on reading more supergirl/superfam comics and green lantern corps comics so yeaaaaah there’s a loooooot. Hopefully something here piqued your interest and I didn’t overwhelm you.

[littlemessyjessi]

Torn: Remus Lupin Story: PS OC: Chapter Two: Bothersome Bella

————————-

Remus Lupin Imagine Turned Story

Re-Written and Edit of an old story of mine I had on Mibba that deserved some more love and attention, lol.

Remus Lupin x Vega Black (OC, OFC, PLUS SIZE OC, PLUS SIZE OFC)

———————————————–

“If a thing is right it can be done, and if it is wrong it can be done without; and a good man will find a way.” ― Anna Sewell, Black Beauty 

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

Chapter Song: “Cowboy Lullaby”: Tim McGraw and Faith Hill

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

Vega stood outside of Ravenclaw tower looking at that arrogant eagle door knocker who refused her passage until she correctly guessed the riddle. She'd guessed three times now and each time she was wrong. Now normally, she would've had more patience that than but the last three weeks hadn't been the best for her. Lost and late for her classes because of the moving staircases. Detention for her tardiness. A howler from her Aunt Walburga every single day telling her how upset they were with her sorting.

It didn’t help that she was missing her parents an awful lot. 

It had been years and yet still... she was trying her best to deal with it. 

Relocating was nothing new to her due to change from Tennessee to London...but Hogwarts was different.

At times like this, she just really wished she could still run into her father’s arms. 

Ride behind her mother as they took a moonlight ride on her mother’s mare, Star. 

She missed it. 

She needed it. 

She was dealing with alot.

All the mundane little things of life. 

And many other struggles of the first year. In a few years, this would be comical to her...but not today. So.....she lost her temper. "Piece of shitl!" she screamed hauling back her Charms book and swinging at the entrance. "I hate this! I hate everything! Now let me in so I can go to sleep!" "Vega?" She paused in her assault and looked over her shoulder at none other than Remus Lupin. Of course. Of course it would be him. Why on earth would it be someone else besides her crush? The universe was against her and the little eleven year old girl felt like she was doomed to have Remus think she was mentally unstable. First it was crying over a muggle book and now it was psychotic rage over not being able to get into the common room. "Everything alright?" he asked her cautiously. She sighed, blowing a puff of air out of her reddened cheeks sending a dark curl bouncing in front of her before looking down in shame. "I can't get inside." He almost smiled. She was beating herself up over nothing. Most first years couldn't. Most upper classmen in the other houses would never even have a chance. "Oh, maybe I can help." he offered. "What's the riddle?" "Follower of man, dark as night, a trained choreography, comes after light." spoke the eagle again. Remus tapped his chin. "Alright, follower of man. So it's behind you and dark as night so it's black or at least darker. A trained choreography. Hmmm, we'll come back to that. Comes after light." he rambled. Vega bit her lip, "Ok so something dark that follows you after light....and it's moves. Merlin's beard!" "What?" he asked a little startled by her outburst. She grinned, "It's a shadow!" "Correct. You may now enter." spoke the eagle behind them. She smiled at Remus, "Thank you. I couldn't have done it without you."  He shook his head, "Yes, you could've. You were just frustrated. You're smarter than most adults I know...and you're only eleven."

He bent to pick up her fallen books and peered at the cover, “Black Beauty?” 

”Um, yeah.” she mumbled. “I found it in the common room and I just thought it looked interesting.” 

Remus smiled at her gently, “You like horses don’t you?” 

Vega’s cheeks flushed, “Well, I- I mean my mama - well, I just- just- Yeah.  Yeah I like horses.” 

Remus fought not to smile as she rambled but simply nodded and handed her the book. 

”I like them too.” he said. “They’re gentle giants.” 

”Yeah.” she said hugging the book to her chest. “They’re majestic.” 

”Yeah.” he agreed. “I hope you have a good night, Vega.  Good night.”  "Good night, Remus." she smiled before ducking inside. Remus smiled and shook his head as he carried on his way. He hadn't seen very much of her since the sorting ceremony but she was in a different house and a different year than him. Additionally, she was a first year and apparently a very high strung first year so he didn't hold it against her. He did feel sorry for her. Everyone could hear the howlers her aunt sent her every day. Sure, Sirius had gotten them too and they were much worse for him but.... things seemed to affect Vega a little differently than they did Sirius. Remus went on about his way until he reached the Gryffindor tower and studied in the common room for a little while. Which actually meant he studies while James and Sirius copied his notes. After a while, he went to bed and actually had a fairly restful sleep. You never get him to admit that he had dreamed of Vega. Her curly black hair. Her big grey eyes, silver like the moon. Her full little lips. He'd never admit it but there was a sort of calmness that he got from her. She soothed him. The very thought made him laugh darkly. Of course, soothe the savage beast. At twelve he desperately wanted more friends and was incredibly grateful for the ones he had but...he'd never let himself be anymore social. Because he was afraid of what he was...and what he might do. The full moon was next week and he most certainly was not looking forward to it. The process, the lies, the hiding...any of it. He felt so lousy for lying to his friends like that. He'd done it all of the previous year and he got the feeling that they were onto him...just that maybe they didn't quite know what they thought they knew. The next morning we he awoke, he was alone in the dorm room. It was a bit odd seeing as how it was Saturday. The snores of James and Sirius who always chose to sleep late usually shook the bed. It wasn't all that uncommon for Peter to be up early. He was never one to miss a meal. "Hmm." Remus hummed in curiosity before climbing out and getting dressed. He greeted a few other house meets politely as he made his way out of Gryffindor Tower and down the corridor. His stomach growled and he figured he nip in and see if any breakfast was left in the Great Hall. However, on his way he heard some noise. A bang and then a lot of ruckus. Her recognized the glint of black hair up ahead and could clearly see that Vega lay in a heap on the floor....clearly injured. He ran to her and knelt beside her when he noticed three other girls. He recognized them instantly as the Black sisters. The eldest, Andromeda, had long brown hair and was the most tolerable. She was a Slytherin prefect a few years older than him but she was quite nice and polite. The youngest, Narcissa or Cissy, was a year younger than he, also in Slytherin, and had long white blond hair. He didn't know her very well, only that she was very quite and seemed completely smitten with Lucius Malfoy. The middle child was by far the worst. Bellatrix Black, hooded dark eyes and curly black hair with sharp features. Bella had a mean strike a mile long and she was cruel as they come. She was in his year and it was very clear that she and Sirius hated each other with a passion. And apparently, this included Vega who lay on the ground with cuts all over her and a blossoming bruise on her face. "Bella, enough!" Andromeda threatened. "What?!" Bella sneered. "She deserved it!" "She didn't do anything to you!" Andromeda pressed. "I saw her go for her wand." Bella spat at her elder sister. "If she did it's probably because you drew yours first." Andromeda said sternly towards her sister. "We both know that Vega was minding her own business just reading a book and -”

“A muggle book!” 

“You're being a bully." "And you're a blood traitor." Bella snapped at her sister. "Come on, Cissy." The blond first year followed behind her sister who sneered at Vega, "See you later, cousin." Vega looked down and away from her. When the two of them left, Andromeda knelt down and inspected her young cousin. "I'm sorry, Vega." she said honestly. "You know how Bella is." Vega nodded and winced, "I'm fine. Thank you for your help." She moved to stand only to collapse into Remus' arms. Much to her embarrassment. She turned bright red. Andromeda arched an eyebrow at it but said nothing. She simply picked her cousin up. Since she was a seventh year and Vega just a first year, and a rather small one at that, it was nothing to lift the little girl. "Remus, if you would run along to the Great Hall and tell Professor Slughorn that I need to speak with him in the hospital wing, I'd appreciate it." she told him. He nodded and took off in the direction of the Great Hall. Breakfast long forgotten...as well as the blood on his clothes. He almost hit himself for not realizing because James and Sirius almost attacked him over it. "Whoa, Remus, mate! What happened?" James pressed. "Nothing." he tried to push them off on his way to the Head Table. "Professor Slughorn." he said as he approached. "Andromeda Black has asked me to inform you that she needs to speak with you. She's in the hospital wing." He tried to be quite but Slughorn being Slughorn drew attention to it. "The hospital wing?!" he exclaimed and Remus flushed a little. "Yes, alright, Mr. Lupin. Thank you." And with that he was gone in bustle of robes. When Remus turned he was met with many stares but none so potent as James and Sirius'. He maneuvered around them and headed for the door, his stomach twisted in knots. Two familiar hands came down on his shoulders and turned him around. "What's going on?" Sirius asked him. He looked into his friend's eyes. If anyone deserved to know....Sirius really did. She was his cousin. "It's Vega." he said. The color drained from Sirius' face. "What?" he whispered. "What happened?" Remus glanced around, "Follow me. Not here." James and Sirius exchanged a glance and they followed him outside the Great Hall and down a corridor. Remus sighed, "She’s hurt. Andromeda took her to the hospital wing so I'm sure Madame Pompfrey will fix her up but Bellatrix Black jumped her in the lav." Sirius almost turned purple with anger, "That bitch!" "Is she alright?" James asked. Remus shrugged, "She awake but pretty cut up and she had a bruise on her face when I got there. Narcissa was with Bellatrix but I don't know if she was involved." "I bet she was." Sirius snarled. "She's just like her. She's got her nose shoved so far up Malfoy's arse that she..." "Andromeda broke it up." Remus cut him off. "She took her to the hospital wing and sent me to fetch Slughorn." "I'll kill 'em." Sirius seethed. "Sirius, mate, I know that you're angry but we've gotta be smart here." James reasoned with him. "She's my sister!" he exploded.

“Cousin.” James corrected. 

“Well whatever,” Sirius said before deflating. “Vega never did anything wrong. She's a good girl."

James and Remus could clearly see how he was worried for her. "She's in good hands, mate." James assured him. "Madame Pompfrey is a wicked healer." "And I'm sure Slughorn will do something about Bellatrix and Narcissa." Remus reasoned. "Andromeda seemed determined of that." He had to admit that was quite admirable. Even when she knew there was definite possibility of points being deducted from her own house....still it seemed as if Andromeda's good judgment would way out. "Not good enough." Sirius growled. "Well then." James smiled. "I guess we'll just have to prank them." Sirius grinned slightly in spite of himself, "Well do it for V." "Somehow I don't think she'd approve of you causing mayhem in her name." Remus smirked before adding, "But I'm in."

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

Chapter One

Chapter Three 

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Hello my lovelies! Here is another rewrite of a previous work of mine that I had on Mibba! I did a bit of reworking on the character, her name and her backstory because I just felt like she deserved more!  I would love to know what you think of little Vega!

So please comment, reblog with thoughts and/or smash the ask box!  I do so love hearing from you my loves!

Love,

Kenny

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@frankie2902

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@tuutifruuti

Love, Kenny

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

[thattimdrakeguy]

Hi, I normally don’t ask questions off anon bc I’m incredibly shy & anxious but I have this question that I need to be answered and you’re one of the few people I trust in this fandom to answer it objectively. My ? Is this. How do you think our Timmers would be as a Dad? Cause I have some ideas but I don’t know if it will be in character for him. Cause tbh, I got into Timmy thru fanfics and we know how those are like. Anyway! Thank for all the work you do! Yr the best, dude!

Aw. No, problem-o to me. I'm so shy and anxious it's honestly a tragedy. So 100% truthfully understand that. I don't really send asks at all typically. i think I have a few times when tired but for all I know i said something dumb to amuse myself and made myself look like an idiot

thankfully you haven’ though lol

As for Tim being a dad. I'm never too sure myself.

He'd be protective and anxious. Fumble a lot cause he wouldn't know what to do, but ask advice and read about how to do it well even if he thought he done enough of that beforehand. He'd freak out when the baby cries, cringe if he has to change their you know what, and probably fall asleep from being exhausted (even more so if he's being Robin at the same time,or which ever identity you choose).

I can't ever imagine him being best dad material. He'd be a freaking mess, but he wouldn't be a failure. He'd be a good dad. Just messy at first is all till he gets the routine better with time. But he seems to be good at entertaining infants easily. So he'd be able to get them to be entertained very easy even if the rest gives him a panic from responsibility.

As the kid gets older tho. I think he'd get better. He'd teach them morals, but be gentle, because ya know, that's his friggin' kid. He wants to make sure they turn out good. Probably teach it to fight, protect others. What to do if a bully happens. Might not be afraid to pull a Wayne Card to scare a bully's parents if it ever got to that point.

Plus he'd have help raising it, Conner has mild experience with kids (more so if ya even wanna count modern Y.J. since it gone downhill), Alfred, Dick I imagine would have a kid, Cassie and Cissie have experience babysitting kids too in their teen years. there'd be a lot of aunts, uncles, and a great grandpa to help raise the kid right.

Even if Tim is a cautious, learning, doing-his-best, if a bit messy, dad.

[traya-sutton]

Gotta Give it Up for Shakesy-P

Happy holidays @awhitehead17!  I’m your secret santa lol, here’s your gift!

ao3

__________________________

“Quiet down now,” Ms. Prince ordered and the class fell into silence. The end of the period was near, and they were restless. “Your final project for Romeo and Juliet will be a performance piece. We’ll be doing an abridged version of the play in front of parents and friends two weeks from now.” This resulted in loud ‘Aww!’s from the class. Cassie wrapped her hand around Conner’s and squeezed, neck craning around the room. She was already picking who she wanted to do the project with. Conner wanted her or Roxy on in his group, but he could see Ray making eyes at him from across the room. It wasn’t that Conner didn’t like Ray, he just preferred to work with his friends.

“I’ve picked the scenes you will be performing,” Ms. Prince waved to the numbers written on the white board. There were three sets: an act number, a scene number, and a third number—almost of all which were between two and four, except for one which was six. “I have also written by the side of the scene how many people will be in each group. Groups will be picked randomly.” She said and pulled out a hat. This was met with another lament from the class. “After I pick your groups, huddle up and you can begin prepping for your piece for the last five minutes of class.”

Cassie sighed and dropped Conner’s hand. “Well, we tried.”  He said with a shrug.

“I just hope I get a death scene.” Cassie said. Ms. Prince started calling out scenes and names but the attention span of the class was gone. Conner only half paid attention.

“Who would be your Juliet?” Conner teased.

“Huh? Oh!” Cassie’s eyes flickered to Cissie at the front of the room, leaning over Anita’s desk to mutter something to her. Then back to Conner, the tips of her ears pink. “I-I mean-any death scene will do. I’d love to be Mercutio.” Then Cassie grinned at Conner and waggled her eyebrows. “What about you, Romeo? Which would you like?”

“-ake. Conner Kent.” Conner’s jerked his head to look as Ms. Prince wrote names down next to scenes. She picked another out of the hat. “Jaime Reyes. Bart Allen.” He’d gotten the six-person scene: act one, scene five. “And Stephanie Brown. Since we’re doing an abridged version, you’ll be starting the scene at the entrance of Capulet, alright?”

Conner flipped to the scene in his copy of Romeo and Juliet, and scanned it. It was the scene where Romeo and Juliet met. He counted the characters and the number of people written on the board. There were too many characters in the scene, they’d probably have to double up. Ms. Prince moved on to the next group.

“Act one, scene five over here!” He heard someone call.

“You got a romance scene,” Cassie said, glancing at his book. She laughed. “Good luck.”

“Thanks,” Conner said sarcastically and she shot him a thumbs up as he headed over to where his group sat. Bart was with him, that was good. Conner liked Bart, even if he was a little much to be around sometimes. Plus, Bart was on the track team so Conner would see him in the locker room sometimes.

He knew Jaime vaguely. He was on the football team with Conner, but other than the fact that he liked science Conner knew nothing about him. La’gaan he knew was on the swim team.  So they were a group of jocks, that would be fun. Conner would totally be able to get Romeo. There was a blonde he’d never met, but knew was a friend of the Waynes, and—Conner’s eyes fell on the last member of their group—a Wayne themselves. Well, fuck.

Tim Drake-Wayne. Tim was chewing on the end of a black pen as he read over the scene, completely ignoring everyone around him. Typical.

Conner was good at a lot of things. He was the best at most of them, in fact. Sure, he needed some help in math and science, but frankly, who didn’t. Plus, he was passing, which was good enough for him to not put in any extra effort. Almost anything Conner tried, really tried at, he was great at. Amazing, if one was being kind.

However, whatever Conner wasn’t good at Tim Drake-Wayne always seemed to be the one to excel. One step ahead whenever he was falling behind.

He knew that Wayne was on the debate team, Model UN, and the theater club. Oh, Conner realized, a theater nerd. This was going to be fun.

“Hi! I’m Steph! This is Tim. When are you guys free after school to work on this?” The blonde asked. She glanced at the clock. “We only have a few minutes before the end of the period.”

“Conner and I have football practice on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays after school, and Bart has track.” Jaime said, packing up his bag.

“I’ve got swim on Tuesdays.” La’gaan said.

“Well, that’s all the days of the week.” Steph said.

“What about after practice?”

“It ends around seven,” Jaime said chewing on his lower lip. “If someone drives me then I might be able to make it.”

Tim waved a hand. “Not a problem. How about tonight, Thursday, and then same time next week? It’ll only be for an hour or two at most.” He stood up, and pulled out of his phone. “Put your numbers in, I’ll make a group chat.” Bart took the phone first, fingers flying across the screen. Tim hadn’t even said  ‘please.’

Kon bit his lower lip. Entitled brat. He took the phone without complaint though and put his number in.  He passed the phone back to Tim just as the bell rang. “Awesome! See you guys later!” Steph hummed before grabbing Tim by the arm and pulling him out of the class.

Conner honestly had no idea what he expected when he checked his phone after football practice, but a message that simply said: Alfred is in a black car in front of the school wasn’t it.

“Who’s Alfred?” Jaime asked.

Conner shrugged. “Come on.”

They met Bart outside the school. Bart’s bag was gone, probably already in the car. He bounced up and down on his heels. “Dudes.” He said, waving his hands for emphasis. “You have to see this!” Then he sped off and Jaime and Conner exchanged a look before jogging after him.

Bart skidded to a stop in front of a Bentley. An honest to god Bentley.

“Ta-da!” He said, using Jazz Hands to add extra flourish.

A man who must have been in his seventies got out of the car and opened the door in the back for them. He had a British accent and wore a suit. Conner’s jaw dropped open. “You must be Master Tim’s classmates, Mister Allen was telling me you would be along soon.” Conner had known that the Waynes were like, stupid rich, but this was ridiculous.

Yeah, sure, the ‘black car’ in front of the school.

“Woah.” Jaime breathed. Conner agreed, but his exclamation would have been a little more on the inappropriate side.

“You’re Alfred?” Conner asked stupidly. Because… duh.

“That I am, sir.”

Conner, Jaime, and Bart slipped into the back seat. Alfred closed the door behind them and sat in the driver’s seat. “I believe we have one more friend of yours to pick up, yes? A Mister… La’gaan?”

“Yes, sir,” Conner said and shut his gaping mouth, because really Ma had raised his with better manners than that.

“What about Steph?” Bart asked, vibrating in the squishy seat beside Conner and Jaime. The kid seemed to be unable to sit still.

“Miss Brown is already at the Manor.” Alfred said and pulled out of the school parking lot. Conner’s phone dinged and he glanced at it.

Jaime

Alfred picked us up

Tim responded so quickly that Conner was shocked.

Tim

awesome

Steph

see you guys soon :peace sign:

They drop by La’gaan’s place to pick him up and because he’s last he gets the front seat next to Alfred. After that they head to the Waynes’ house. When Conner asked what the address of the house was he received an odd look in the rear-view mirror from Alfred.

“Dude,” Bart said, “it’s Stately Wayne Manor, that’s the address.” Well, then, Conner thought.

He wished Alfred had picked a larger car, he was crushed up against Jaime.

“We have arrived. Master Tim is waiting for you in the library,” he said, opening the door for them. He led them through the doors of the Manor and into the hallway.

Stately Wayne Manor was huge. Absolutely enormous. Conner’s mouth dropped open again against Ma’s better breeding, and he stared as Alfred directed them to the library. Bart was reading Wayne Manor’s Waynipedia page like stats for a weapon in a video game. “-and as for the library, that’s really a misnomer since Wayne Manor has four libraries, and three studies-”

La’gaan opened door to the library. Steph sat on the ground, her back resting against the coffee table. Tim sat across from her, his legs crossed on him. He was scribbling something in his copy of the play. Behind the coffee table was a mobile whiteboard.

“I leave you here, good sirs. Tell me when you are all finished.” Alfred said, and strode back the way they’d came.

Tim looked up when they came in. Steph grinned.

“Welcome!” She crowed. She waved them over.

Conner dropped his bags with the others by the door, digging out his book before heading over to the couch.

“Hi!” Bart sang. He sat on the floor next to her.

As soon as Conner sat on the couch, the cushions bowing under his weight, Tim jumped to his feet and around the table. He took a magnetic marker from the side of the whiteboard.

“Oh great, are we back at school?” La’gaan asked.

Tim gave La’gaan a condescending look and La’gaan flushed. Tim twirled the marker between his fingers. “Okay, I’m sure we’re all busy so let’s get started with parts.” Tim said.

Bossy.

Tim quickly scribbled out all the parts on the whiteboard—Capulet, Romeo, Juliet, Tybalt, Nurse, and Others.

“Others?” Jaime asked, flipping through his own book.

“There are three one line characters in the scene. Remember? Ms. Prince said that we’ll be skipping the first few lines to get to the plot of the scene.” Tim explained.

“Can I take those then?” Jaime asked. Everyone turned to look at him. “I’ve got stage-fright,” he said quietly.

“Sure,” Tim said. He wrote Jaime’s name down on the whiteboard.

“Can I be Tybalt?” Bart asked. “I can carry a sword.” He grinned.

“Sure, Bart is Tybalt. I’ll be Romeo-”

“Why do you get to be Romeo?” Conner asked.

Steph laughed and Tim gave Conner an odd look, like he thought that Conner was an idiot and was amused by him. “Conner, please.” Tim said.

“No, seriously! I’m big and strong, why can’t I be Romeo?”

“’Cuz Tim’s a theater nerd.” Bart argued.

Steph laughed again. “He is!”

Tim rolled his eyes. “I am not.”

“You are!” Steph grinned. “You’re totally a theater nerd!”

“I’m not.” Tim insisted, but his ears were pink. “But yeah, I should be Romeo because I act.”

Steph snickered to Bart, waving a hand daintily. She mimicked Tim’s voice and gave it a large drawl, “he acts.” Bart burst into giggles. Tim ignored them both.

“So? I look the part.” Conner said, bringing them back onto topic.

Tim turned to face him. He crossed his arms over his chest. He wore a black shirt and jeans that, each on their own, probably were worth more than Conner’s car. He was giving Conner that amused and condescending look again. “Come here,” he said.

“What?”

Steph whistled, looking like Christmas had come early. Her eyes flickered between them.

“Come here.” Tim insisted.

Conner stood. “Put down your book,” Tim said. He looked around the library for a second before he motioned to one of those ladders that roll around bookcases so people can reach high shelves. “Sit on the ladder.”

“On the ladder?”

“Just do it.” So Conner sat on the ladder.

Then Tim got down on one knee. Conner ignored the snickering of the others. Tim looked up at him and Conner raised an eyebrow. Was something… supposed to happen?

Then Tim looked up at him. The warm lights of the library illuminated his eyes, making their blue sparkle. Tim’s condescending expression melted, and he looked up at Conner. His eyes fluttered and he looked… awed.

Conner’s heart stuttered in his chest.

“But… soft… what light through yonder window breaks? It is the East, and Juliet is the sun,” Tim whispered. Conner swallowed thickly. Tim’s eyes flickered back and forth, staring at Conner. Through Conner. Taking him in, absorbing him.

“Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon/Who is already sick and pale with grief/That thou her maid art far more fair than she/” his voice had a quiet shock to it, chills went up Conner’s arms, “be not her maid, since she is envious/her vestal livery is but sick and green/and none but fools do wear it. Cast it off./It is my lad; O, it is my love! O that she knew she were!/She speaks, yet she says nothing. What of that?/Her eye discourses; I will answer it.” Tim clutched a hand to his heart, tearing his eyes away from Conner’s, as if it hurt to look away.

He looked embarrassed. “I am too bold; ‘tis not to me she speaks.” He turned to look up at the ceiling. “Two of the fairest stars in all the heaven/having some business, do entreat her eyes/to twinkle in their spheres ‘til they return/what if her eyes were there, they in her head?/The brightness of her cheek would shame those stars,” he sighed, leaning against the ladder, dramatically. He looked back up at Conner wistfully, “as daylight doth a lamp; her eyes in heaven/would through the airy region stream so bright/that birds would sing and think it were not night. See how she leans her cheek upon her hand!” Tim leaned closer to Conner and took his hand in his own. He pressed it close to his lips, as if he were going to kiss it. Tim’s breath tickled Conner’s fingers. He glanced up at Conner again, the words whispered. “O that I were a glove upon that hand, that I might touch that cheek.” He raised a hand, as if to brush it against Conner’s cheek. Tim’s lip quivered.

“That’s-” Conner couldn’t form any other word. There was nothing after ‘that.’

Then Tim stood and shrugged that sensitive facade off, and the asshole was back. “I’m Romeo.” He said simply. Bart began a loud, obnoxious slow clap, and Conner was rudely sucked back into the present, choking on his breath. He stumbled off the ladder.

Steph whooped. “Bravo! Bravo!” The other boys clapped also, though Conner wasn’t even sure if Jaime (who stared at Tim like he’d never seen him before, jaw slightly ajar) was conscious that he was.

“That’s-That’s not our scene.” Conner argued, but his argument fell on deaf ears. The boys stared at Tim with a new sense of awe.

I could do that, Conner thought angrily. Tim preened self-satisfied under the shocked reaction of the others in the group. I could do better than that!

Steph moved on, clearly no longer caring about Tim’s performance. Perhaps she saw it often. She swung her feet up onto the coffee table. “I call the nurse.”

“Why not Juliet?” La’gaan asked.

“Why should I be Juliet? Because I’m a girl?” Steph scoffed. “Capulet is obsessed with a blood feud, Tybalt is an idiot, Romeo and Juliet kill themselves rather than just move to a new city. The nurse is the only rational person in the play.”

“Well, I’m not going to be Juliet.” La’gaan grumbled. “I’m Capulet.”

Tim scribbled the parts down on the board. He turned to Conner. “That makes you Juliet, big guy. You okay with that?”

“My masculinity isn’t threatened.”

“Good thing, Juliet.” Tim said and wrote Conner’s name down.

“Wait! I want a shot.” Conner said stubbornly, arms crossed.

“Huh?” Tim asked mildly, picking up his play.

“You… auditioned for us, right now, to be Romeo. I want a callback.”

“To callback you have to audition first,” Tim corrected and Steph snorted.

“Nerd.”

Tim leveled a glare at her. “I hate you.”

“Give me a shot. I’m not a diva like you-”

Tim huffed, “I’m not a diva.”

“-But give me a week. We meet twice a week for two weeks until the performance, right? Give me a week, and I’ll prove to you that I can be a good Romeo.”

“Being Romeo is more than just being able to say a few poems. Our scene is iconic,” Tim snapped, he gesticulated widely as he spoke, “it’s where Romeo and Juliet meet! If our scene doesn’t land, the whole play means nothing.”

“Dude, it’s just a grade.” Jaime muttered.

“It’s our final project,” Tim said, crossing his arms. “You guys know that Ms. Prince used to do Greek plays and tragedies professionally, you get that right? She’ll have high expectations.”

“And I’ll get us that A,” Conner insisted. “Let me try.”

“I thought you didn’t mind playing Juliet.”

“I don’t.” Conner tried to copy the condescending look that seemed to be a favorite of Tim’s. “Do you?”

Tim’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t take the bait.

It wasn’t a lie, either, Conner didn’t mind. Conner just hated that Tim was better at this than he was. He was Conner Kent. He could out act Tim Drake-Wayne. He knew he could, if he tried. It wasn’t like acting was that hard, right? So you lie, big deal. Anyone could do that. I could do better than that.

Tim’s lips twisted into something that had to be classified as a smirk, but it definitely looked more sinister. “I’m Romeo,” He said simply. He turned back to the whiteboard, Expo in hand.

“I’ll make it worth your while!” Conner said. Last ditch attempt.

“Please, you two,” Steph said, “get a room first.”

Conner made a rude gesture at her that she returned without a glance. Tim just rolled his eyes at her, but he turned back to Conner.

Conner had a foot in the door. He could feel victory in his hands. Conner Kent always got what he wanted.

“Oh?”

“If my Romeo makes you literally go ‘wow’ or ‘woah’ or something of the sort, or I get a majority of at least three,” Conner waved a hand at their other group members.

While La’gaan and Bart looked excited by the idea, Jaime groaned: “Leave me out of it, Ese.”

“-that agree that it was a ‘woah’ moment, I get to be Romeo.” Conner said.

“And when you fail miserably?” Tim asked, arms crossed.

Conner shrugged. He wasn’t going to lose, so whatever he bet was inconsequential. “I buy you a pizza.”

“I’m rich, Kent. I can buy myself a pizza store if I really wanted.”

Bart’s eyes lit up. “Really? Do it! Do it now!”

“I’m not buying a pizza store.” Tim said. Bart deflated, grumbling something to himself.

“Nice try. I give it a five out of ten, would have worked if Tim wasn’t like stupid rich,” Steph said.

“I don’t know, I could get you date with the head cheerleader.”

“Not interested.” Tim said, turning slowly back to the board. “So for theme-”

“Ooh, strike two. So close.”

“Wait!” What on Earth could be something Tim wanted? If it wasn’t money or food based, then all he had left were possibly embarrassing things. Conner watched as Tim tapped his foot, yes literally tapped his foot, against the floor gently, eyes fixed on Conner’s soul. Something embarrassing that would prove that Tim was better than Conner… he’d appreciate that. He was on debate, and members of the debate team always had to be right. “Uh, I’ll let you pick a scene, segment, or play for me to preform blind in front of the entire English class, and you can critique me.” Conner said.

“Ooh, playing on his ego. I like it.” Steph said, grinning. She turned back to Tim, who was still tapping his foot. “Rebuttal?”

Tim was quiet. His face blank.

“Well?” Conner prompted.

Tim brought an index finger up to his lip, tapping against it as he thought. “I’m processing...” Tim mused. “Hmm… Processing… Assessing risk… Weighing pros and cons...”

“Oooh, pros and cons list.” Steph nodded sagely. “He’s really thinking about it.”

“Alright, worth the risk. Proposition accepted.” Tim stuck out his hand, as if they were going to do a business deal.

Conner strode over and slapped his hand into Tim’s. He squeezed slightly, just to see how Tim would react. Conner carefully didn’t cry out when Tim squeezed back, damn was he stronger than Conner too? Now, Conner had the urge to arm wrestle him.

He… may have had some issues. But if it got him the part, who cared.

Tim turned back around to the whiteboard and Conner sat on the arm of the couch, and pulled out his book. La’gaan was giving him an amused look.

“What?”

La’gaan shook his head and laughed. “Just take ‘em out and measure, dude.” He snorted.

Tim said loudly: “anyway.”

“He’s right.” Steph hummed, winking at La’gaan. Bart gave her two thumbs up.

“Anyway,” Tim said, pulling their attention back to him, “theme. I was thinking something that isn’t classic, since almost everyone will be doing classic. I mean with-” and he continued to prattle on animatedly, but Conner was no longer listening. He was too busy studying Romeo’s lines, and daydreaming about how he was possibly going to up what Tim had just done to him. He had a lot of planning to do.

As Thursday drew nearer, Conner practiced and practiced and practiced. He knew his scene backwards and forwards, and was almost ready to be off book. In the showers after football practice, he’d practically sung his lines (much to Gar’s annoyance). For hours on Wednesday he’d sat in front of his mirror and worked on reciting the lines, making different faces while he did to see how they looked on him.

When Alfred swung by the school to pick Conner and Jaime up, Conner felt he had gotten much better. Maybe even Tim level by now, even if he still wasn’t settled on blocking for the scene. They’d decided on a modern view of Romeo and Juliet (but Tim had compromised on Bart’s/Tybalt’s sword). Tim had gone on a tirade about how having two boys be Romeo and Juliet could be a commentary on society or some shit… Conner honestly had been thinking more different reactions Tim would make after Conner blew him out of the water as Romeo. One where his smirking blue eyes would be wide with shock, or as pupil-blown as Conner knew his own were (despite how he really felt about Tim’s obnoxiousness) whenever Tim played Romeo. Or how maybe Tim would whisper ‘wow,’ and his hands would linger on Conner’s.

Maybe Conner would kiss him, the script called for it. Every time the kiss came up in the script during rehersal, Tim inconspicuously would find a way to skip that part. Conner would have been offended if he hadn’t been thinking in those moments about how much better Conner would be as a Romeo.  

Who knew someone with such cutting expressions could be so soft?

Everything that Tim did as Romeo (and apparent director, it seemed, fuck he was bossy) Conner took mental notes on. It would have bothered him less though if Tim wasn’t doing the same—only Tim’s notes weren’t mental. He said them, aloud and self-importantly.

“It’s a poem, Kent,” Tim said. “Our lines are a sonnet. If you don’t say them in time, you miss half of the beauty of it.”

Then Tim proceeded to preform the entire conversation on his own, but all Conner could focus on was how good Tim was as Juliet. (And yeah, the poem thing when done right was really cool. Conner spent the rest of that meeting practicing his timing, because if they could pull that off for the play, they’d get an A straight off, even if everything else went wrong.)

“Wow,” Bart said as the boys sat in the car on the way back to their houses. “Tim is really bossy. Who would have thought?”

“Right?” La’gaan said. “I thought you would totally blow your lid,” he said to Conner. “I would.”

“He’s a theater kid, guys. Of course, he’s bossy when it comes to this project.”

“And it’s not like you help with that,” Jaime teased, nudging Conner’s shoulder, “you keep egging him on.”

“Whatever I do or say is an appropriate reaction to his pretentiousness.” Conner argued. Alfred pulled the car up to Ma and Pa’s and Conner opened the door.

“Oh? Is that what we’re calling it now?” Bart asked. Jaime and La’gaan shared a grin.

Conner didn’t get it. “What do you mean?”

The others shook their heads, exasperatedly. “Never mind, Juliet.” Jaime sighed. “See you tomorrow.” He closed the door behind Conner and the Bentley sped off.

Conner was invited four different times to the party at Wayne Manor on Friday night, and not once was by Tim (although one invitation was from a Wayne). Tim’s older sister invited Conner and the rest of Tim’s English class, as well as half the school. Cassie insisted that Conner went with her so she wouldn’t be going alone. Steph demanded that their English group come to make fun of Tim. And, as a football player, Conner was also invited by the Senor members of the team—whether or not any of them had a formal invitation, Conner wasn’t sure, but either way he counted it.

Friday night came, and Conner, as well as half the school, showed up at Stately Wayne Manor to trash it.

The party was much like any other party that Conner had gone to. There were those who went because their friends did, those who went to get wasted and out of their house, and those who weren’t invited but it was a party, so of course they were coming. Conner himself had no idea why there was a party, but when he finally arrived it was clearly well underway.  

Cassie was called over as soon as the two of them passed the threshold by Cissie King-Jones. She shot Conner an apologetic look (with the volume of the music there was no way they could hear each other), and he waved her off and pointed to his teammates. He’d just hang out with them. She blew him a kiss and pushed through the crowd of teenagers.

After a game of beer pong that Conner, of course, slayed, he grabbed his second beer from the kitchen and headed upstairs. With all the extra practicing for the group project, plus other school work and sports training, Conner was lacking some sleep. Today, he hadn’t drunk anything other than Red Bull and the beers from the party. His head pounded, and the music was definitely going to give him a migraine. He couldn’t leave yet, it was still too early and Cassie was his ride anyway. Thank god she’d volunteered to be designated driver.

Conner realized, as he climbed the stairs and the thrumming of the music quieted, that he’d never been anywhere but the first floor of the manor. Wayne Manor loomed around him. The hallways were lined with paintings and sculptures. None of the rooms were labeled, and most were locked when he tried them.

Conner took a swig of his beer. It buzzed through him gently, easing the pounding in his head. Conner came to a fork in the halls and picked one at random. He continued walking.

The painting shouldn’t have surprised him or made him stop, because he knew, theoretically, that this house was probably full of old oil paintings like this. But, this one was different than the expensive landscapes and modernist art that had lined the halls before them. This painting was a family portrait.

Conner took another sip.

In it, Tim looked exactly like he did now, though perhaps a little younger—he was maybe fourteen. His younger siblings, or… the people Conner thought were Tim’s younger siblings with that weird amalgam of children in the Wayne family, clearly hadn’t been adopted yet. But his sister was. She slung her arm over Tim’s shoulder, positioned to his left. She was giving the painter a light closed-mouth smile. Between her and Tim stood an older man that had to be the Bruce Wayne himself.

Hmm… Conner mused, his unoccupied hand drifted up to run his fingers across the bottom of the frame. Bruce Wayne looked… different than Conner usually saw him online and in the pictures used in Lois’ articles. Softer. Less aloof. More like a father. Next to him, framing the other half of the picture was a young man who was definitely Dick Grayson. He rested one hand on Tim’s shoulder. One of Bruce’s arms slung across Dick’s shoulders. Both of them were giving smiles—Bruce’s looked like it was straight out of a stock photo. Dick’s was stupidly large, all encompassing and completely awe-inspiring. Looking at him, Conner felt a stupid grin spread across his own face.

But Tim wasn’t smiling at all.

Something about it made Conner clench his beer harder and take another sip.

Conner turned away, and continued along the hallway. He turned a corner and ran right into Stephanie Brown.

“Sorry.” Conner mumbled. “You alright?”

“Huh?” Steph asked, looking up at Conner. “Oh, hi Conner. Yeah,” she pulled her hair up into a purple scrunchie, “I’m fine. What’re you doing here?”

“It’s a party.”

“Uh, the party is downstairs.” Steph said, pointing down to the ground. Conner looked at his feet, as if he could see through the floor. Steph laughed. “But maybe you can help me with something else.”

“Oh?”

Steph hooked a finger behind her. “I’m going to have fun, but Tim’s being a party pooper and won’t come down. Convince him to loosen up a little, chill?” Steph asked. She patted Conner on the shoulder as if he’d already agreed, which Conner was pretty sure he hadn’t (and he wasn’t drunk yet, so saying things he wasn’t aware he was saying wasn’t a probability), then she skipped passed him.

Conner drank some more liquid courage, and turned the corner.

Tim’s door was open, and his room was empty, well, of people at least.

Conner surveyed the room. It was as large as Lois and Clark’s apartment in Metropolis. It was also a complete mess, clothes and books and video games scattered across the room. Huh. Who would have thought. Conner had a strange urge to check under Tim’s bed for porn, see if he was a real boy.

On Conner’s left he could see a half open bathroom door, and another door that was closed. Conner wasn’t sure if it was another room or a walk-in closet of some type. Other than that, what could it be?

A cold breeze drifted through the room. Conner’s cheeks burned from the booze in his veins.

Steph had said that Tim was in here, but it didn’t look like he was… unless… Conner walked over to the open window and poked his head out.

Tim Drake-Wayne sat on his roof, arms wrapped around his knees. He stared down at the ground below, which, Conner stood on his tiptoes, overlooked the parking lot. People danced and sang and hooted below.

“Hi there,” Conner said.

Tim turned his head. “What’re you doing here?”

“I was invited. You?”

Tim narrowed his eyes.

Now, there was the pretentious-robot Conner knew and hated.

Conner shakily climbed out onto the roof. He sat next to Tim and leaned forward a little to watch the buzzed teens below. “Learning normal teenage habits to imitate and then scoff at?” Conner asked. He took another sip and wobbled (less from the booze and more from the precarious position he sat in). Tim’s arm whipped out and grabbed Conner’s forearm to steady him. Conner flashed him a smile in thanks.

Tim dropped Conner’s arm and curled back up over his knees. “Did Steph send you? I’m not going down there.”

“How dare you! Of course not!” Conner paused, and Tim gave him that infuriating expression that clearly said he didn’t believe him. “I was enlisted after I had already left the party.”

Tim didn’t reply. Another breeze fluttered passed them and Conner watched Tim not move, not even shiver a little.

Perhaps robot wasn’t the right word. It needed something more pretentious, like a statue. One of those great, large pale Roman ones that were missing arms and you could see every sinew and muscle in, but were frozen in time.

Except, of course, that Tim was dressed.

“Aren’t you cold?” Conner asked, nodding to him.

Tim looked down at his clothes. He wore a black button up over slacks, like a true grown-up pretending to be a child. Tim shrugged.

“Are you?”

Conner shook his head. He drank some more beer. Tim’s eyes followed his hand, then went sharply back to people-watching. Conner shrugged off his leather jacket and held it out to Tim. Tim’s eyes flickered back to Conner, surprise cracking his cynical facade. Then his gaze fell to Conner’s chest.

“My eyes are up here.” Conner told him, waving the jacket in Tim’s direction.

In the dim light of the room and what drifted up from the parking lot below, he watched as Tim flushed. Or, Conner thought he was flushed. He wasn’t sure.

“Sorry.” Tim mumbled. “It’s just… your shirt.”

“What about it?”

Tim was definitely blushing now. “It’s… y’know. Cool.”

Conner wasn’t even sure what shirt he was wearing. He glanced down. It was a Wendy the Werewolf Stalker shirt with a picture of Seraph on it and a quote of his.

“You like Wendy? You?”

Tim frowned. “Why shouldn’t I? It’s fun.”

“It’s just… not… y’know.”

“What?” Tim quirked an eyebrow, and Conner got that feeling he got so often, like Tim was laughing at him.

“Stuck-up.”

Then Tim really did laugh. Or, chuckle, but that was close.

“No big soliloquies, and… I mean the deepest shit in there is the metaphor for growing up, which really is undercut by the episode where Wendy worked at a doggy day care that actually was for werewolves.”

Tim chuckled again. “Dog Days.” He said.

Conner was pleasantly surprised that Tim even knew the episode name. “Yeah.”

“Well,” Tim shrugged sheepishly, “you know all those speeches and analyses on Romeo and Juliet? They’re not mine.”

“They’re not?”

“No, they’re my brother’s, Jason. He gave me a rundown on the scene before you guys showed up, and that thing about a gay modern Romeo and Juliet, that’s all shit he lectured us on at dinner Wednesday night.”

Conner frowned, lip of the beer bottle halfway in his mouth. “Wait, is that why Steph couldn’t stop giggling?”

Tim laughed. Really, big, belly laugh. “Yeah.” He sighed, and leaned back against the roof, staring up at the sky. Conner lay back next to him. In Gotham there were no stars, barely even the two or three Conner got in Metropolis when he stayed with Clark and Lois. An airplane flew passed, blinking through the dusty clouds.

“I like… I like Wendy, and Enya, and video games. You know?” Tim said. “All this… Shakespeare and, I don’t know, honors English class and sweater-vests,”

“God, do you have sweater-vests?”

Tim ignored him, “and slacks and blazers and whatever. It’s not really me. It’s Tim Drake-Wayne. Not… Tim Drake.”

And for the first time, Conner realized that Tim didn’t used to be a Wayne. He was a… Drake, also. Whatever that was.

“Then why do you… do that?”

“Do what?”

“Treat everyone else like they’re below you. Lie. Be a pretentious asshole.” Conner’s tongue felt a little numb. He pulled his leather jacket into his lap.

Tim’s hand found his—his fingers were freezing and Conner winced, but didn’t pull away. Tim took Conner’s beer from him and brought it to his own lips, upending the bottle in his own mouth. Tim wiped the remnants from his lips with the back of his hand.

“Because it’s easy,” Tim said. He burped and Conner snickered even though it wasn’t very funny. His head was pounding again. “Because I’m good at it.”

“You’re not that good-” Conner tried to argue, but he knew that it was just macho posturing. That was what Conner was good at, what propelled him through his days, being better than everyone else.

“Conner, please.”

“Yeah,” Conner agreed. “So… that’s why you act? Because it’s easy?”

Tim shrugged. “Yeah. Pretty much. Why? Why do you do it?”

Conner shrugged also. “I don’t know. Because I want to beat you.”

“Really?”

“Well, yeah. I mean, nothing against you, it’s just that, you know, I’m Conner Kent.”

“Oh, I’m aware.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing, just-you know.” Tim’s voice got quieter. He waved a hand vaguely. “You’re Conner Kent. Quarterback of the football team, popular kid, Ultimate Jock, part of Model U.N. and…” Tim’s voice trailed off. “just the Best at Everything.” Neither of them said anything and then Tim added, almost whispered: “I didn’t get mad at you calling me pretentious, you can’t get mad at me for this.”

Conner snorted, but didn’t say anything else. He turned. Tim stared up at the sky, watching the dusky clouds drift slowly across the night. His eyes were dark in the dim light, but his skin was ghostly pale. Conner sat up and reached to pull off his shirt. Tim watched curiously, giving him that so hated Look.

Conner wondered if Tim even knew he was doing it.

“Ask me to dinner first, why don’t you?”

Conner handed it over to Tim, immediately realizing what a stupid idea it was. It was freezing outside, and Conner’s nipples seemed to be trying to make sure that Tim knew that. Conner pulled his leather jacket back over his shoulders. “It’s for you.”

“Gross.” Tim said.

Conner rolled his eyes. He was already this far in. “You know, so you don’t have to lie, you know, if you don’t want.”

Tim snorted. “Are you drunk?”

“No, I’m just being dramatic.” And stupid. This was really dumb.

Tim laughed. He took the shirt from Conner, curling his hands in it, running his thumb over the faded image on the front. “Gross.” He repeated, but he didn’t hand it back. Instead, he looked at Conner, in that same assessing way he had when he’d agreed to the stupid Romeo bet. “You should probably head home. Do you have a designated driver?”

“Yeah, no need to call the butler.”

Tim wrinkled his nose, but he didn’t reply to that, “who?”

“Cassie Sandsmark. You know her?”

“Kick-boxer? Blonde,” Tim sat up and tapped a finger against his lower lip. “Yeah, she has a mean right hook.”

“Mean right hook?”

“We do Krav Maga together.”

Of course, Tim did. “Do you have a black belt in that?”

Tim gave him the Look. “You don’t get black belts in Krav Maga, but… yeah, essentially, something like that.” Conner laughed sardonically. Of course.

“Steph totally has a thing for her.” Tim added.

“Steph? I thought, you two were… you know.” Conner wasn’t quite sure how to say it so he crossed his fingers.

Tim snickered. Conner felt himself flush and Tim laughed harder. So that wasn’t so bad. “Nah, she’s more of a Juliet girl, if you know what I mean.”

“Ah… If it matters, Cassie is too.”

Tim didn’t look surprised but he smiled back. “I’ll let her know. In a slightly less tragic metaphor.”

Conner shook his head. A breeze blew by, but he wasn’t very cold anymore. He zipped up the leather jacket, his cheeks burning.

“What about you?” Tim asked.

“Huh?”

“Romeo or Juliet?”

Conner wasn’t sure if he was blushing, but he felt like he was. He shrugged it off, like it was just the booze and cold. “Romeo. You?”

“A little bit of both.” Tim murmured. His eyes, lit by the little light of the his bedroom. Blue, a vibrant, violent, piercing blue.

“Uh. Yeah.” Something came back to him. “Uh, speaking of which, I um, I mean I came in here in the first place because Steph told me to convince you to come down to the party. I-I should probably be heading back down, anyway.”

“Right. Yeah.” Tim shook his head, and coughed. “Yeah, definitely. And,” Tim waved the empty beer bottle at Conner, “to get a refill.”

“Yeah, maybe,” Conner said, but, he thought as he headed back out of the room, he had probably had enough.

Conner was halfway down the hall when he realized Tim hadn’t come out with him. He went back and poked his head into Tim’s bedroom. “You coming?” He asked.

Tim grinned. “Yeah, let’s go.” He walked passed Conner and out of his room, and Conner stared at him. Or, more accurately, stared at his shirt as it hung from Tim’s shoulders, a little bit too big, but not hugely. Almost, just almost, an okay fit.

Monday came too fast, or maybe not really fast enough. Ma and Pa didn’t ask about the shirt which disappeared before the weekend. Conner wasn’t sure if they noticed. But he didn’t bring it up, just in case.

The ride over to Tim’s house was a lot quieter than Conner remembered the other two being. He knew that Bart was pointedly not mentioning the… upcoming audition. Jaime and La’gaan kept up the conversation expertly. Conner was sure they were in on it, too. It was nice of them. He felt weird. Conner usually wasn’t worried about these types of things, but right now he couldn’t stop his hands from sweating. There was a rush in his ears. Every sound and touch grated on his nerves. Conner was anxious. He really wanted this to be good. He really wanted to impress Tim. Or beat him. Whatever.

Alfred finally pulled up to the Manor and Conner and the others went to the library to meet Steph and Tim. Conner was the last through the door, and subsequently the last to see that their group weren’t the only ones in the room. Tim’s sister sat on the couch, munching merrily on popcorn which resided in an enormous bowl on her lap. Steph sat next to her, shoes kicked off and purple socked feet intertwined with the sister’s (why couldn’t Conner remember her name…?). She dug her hand into the bowl of popcorn and shoved it into her mouth.

“Connermph!” She called around her food. She swallowed noisily and Bart sat down on the other side of the sister, popping some popcorn in his mouth. “Ready?”  

“You clearly are.” Conner nodded to them, pointedly.

The sister grinned. “I wanted to see,” She said gleefully. Tim stuck his tongue out at her, and she just grinned back.

“Do it, do it, do it.” Bart chanted. La’gaan, Steph, and the sister picked it up too. Conner shrugged off his bag and placed it by the table.

“Guys, cut it out,” Tim said to no avail. “Sorry, Conner.”

Conner shrugged. “Fine, just chill a sec, okay?” He called to them, which was met with cheers from La’gaan. Bart pulled out a glittery handmade sign that said GO CONNER! on it and was filled with tons of Valentine’s day stickers.

Conner must have given him a strange look because Bart shrugged and said by way of explantion, “there wasn’t really anything Romeo and Juliet themed for some reason. This was as close as I could get.”

“Perhaps because they die at the end of the play,” Tim said wryly. Bart took this idea under consideration.  

The sister’s eyes widened and she gasped. “They do?”

“Oh, sorry Cass. Yeah, they die.” Tim said.

“Did you really not know that?” Conner asked, surprised.

Cass—right! That was the sister’s name! How could Conner have forgotten that?—shook her head. “I’ve never seen it before.” She said. Steph bet over and whispered something to her. Cass nodded solemnly.

Tim took Conner by the arm. “Do you really want to do this?”

“What? Nervous?” Conner gave Tim what Conner knew was a shit-eating grin.

“Please,” Tim gave him that Look.

That was all the boost Conner needed, all his anxiety was gone now, only the overwhelming urge to wipe that look off Tim’s face remained.

“Alright. I’m going to need you to follow my lead.” Conner said. “Think you can do that? Just ‘yes, and.’”

“Yes, and,” Tim repeated dutifully in a totally infuriating tone.

Conner whispered the blocking into Tim’s ear, ignoring the looks they were getting from the others. Tim thought for a minute, processed, and then nodded. “Let’s go.” Tim said, and got into his place.

Conner cleared his throat, and looked up at Tim. Tim Drake-Wayne. Juliet.

Juliet, who stood there in all her beauty. Juliet, who Romeo desperately wanted to get into the pants of.

Tim stood with his back to Conner and Conner placed his hand gently on Tim’s shoulder before turning him around. “If I profane with my unworthiest hand/this holy shrine, the gentle sin is this/” he leaned closer to Tim, brushing his other hand over Tim’s cheekbone. Tim’s brilliant blue eyes went wide, and an innocent look spread across his features. “my lips, two blushing pilgrims, ready stand/to smooth that rough touch with a tender kiss.” Conner leaned in and watched Tim’s patented Look crawl onto his face.

Tim pulled back, smirking. He shrugged Conner away, and Conner made it hurt himself. Made his features twist into those of pain. Made that sharp tug in his belly.

It was for the act.

“Good pilgrim, you do wrong your hand too much/” Tim shrugged, looking back at Conner with a wicked grin that ruined his Look, but also made it so much better, “which mannerly devotion shows in this:/for saints have hands that pilgrims’ hands do touch/” Tim took Conner’s hand that had touched his cheek, running his own fingers through Conner’s. Conner caught his breath. “And palm to palm is holy palmers’ kiss.” Then Tim dropped it and crossed his arms.

“Have not saints lips, and holy palmers too?” Conner asked with a shrug, reaching out for Tim yet again, but Tim pulled away. ‘Yes, and.’

“Ay, pilgrim,” Tim teased, tapping against Conner’s mouth gently, “lips that they must use in pray’r.” Then he turned, as if that was the end of the conversation.  

Conner grinned and caught Tim’s own hand, which flew out as he turned flamboyantly. He brought it to his face, in a mockery of what Tim had done during his own audition, just millimeters away from his lips. Tim’s fingers twitched in his own. Conner looked up at him through his lashes.

“O then, dear saint,” he fell to one knee before Tim, keeping Tim’s hand in his own, “let lips do what hands do/” Tim took his hand away with a snort, blue eyes electric. “They pray—grant thou, lest faith turn to despair.”

Tim took Conner’s offered hand, up to his Juliet as if in worship, and pulled Conner to his feet. “Saints do not move, though grant for prayers’ sake.”

But when he turned away yet again, Conner seized his chance and pulled him in close, almost in a twirl. Until they were chest to chest, faces just inches away from one another. Tim was breathing heavily.

“Then move not while my prayer’s effect I take/Thus from my lips, by thine, my sin is purg’d.” And with that, Conner closed the distance between them and kissed Tim. It was a chaste kiss, an easy one. Gently pressing lips together, more a tease than anything else. Then he let Tim fall away.

Hungry, electric blue eyes stared into his soul as Tim took a step back. His hand drifted to his mouth. “Then…” he paused for a moment, “have my lips the sin that they have took.”

Conner grinned at him, and Tim’s pupils blew a little wider. ‘Yes, and,’ huh? Tim said that acting—lying—was easy, that was why he did it. Conner didn’t know about easy, but it was certainly fun. “Sin from my lips? O trespass sweetly urg’d!/” He reeled Tim back in until they were once against close enough to feel each other breathe. “Give me my sin again.”

Conner kissed Tim again. A real, hard, hungry kiss. One Romeo would have given Juliet. Then he stopped and leaned back, over-exaggerating the heaving of his chest. Tim did the same, those eyes never leaving Conner’s.

Conner waited. Tim’s hand clenched Conner’s shirt, and Tim swallowed thickly.

“Line?” Conner prompted him.

Tim blinked. “Huh?”

“Tim. It’s your line.”

Those blue eyes confused and… Tim shook his head and backed away. “Uh...” Tim bit his lower lip, usually pale skin pink. “You…uh… You…” Tim shook his head again, “Bart?”

“What?” Bart’s voice rasped, uncharacteristically.

“Line, Bart.”

Bart scrambled for his play but Conner knew the line, since usually it was his.

“You kiss by th’ book.” Conner told Tim.

“You kiss by th’ book.” Tim repeated dully. There was a crushing silence and Tim ran his fingers through his hair. Conner knew everyone was staring at Tim. Cass, Steph, and Bart’s munching had stopped. Had probably been stopped for a while, Conner realized. He hadn’t even noticed, he’d been too absorbed in the scene. Conner shot a glance at them. The others, all of them, sat with their mouths open. Gaping at Conner and Tim.

What the fuck was wrong with Tim?

Tim whirled on Conner. The electricity came back to those piercing blue eyes and he pointed accusingly at Conner. “You cannot do that in front of our parents.” He said, voice shaky.

Conner wasn’t sure what he’d done.

La’gaan was the next to speak. “Well, I’m gonna say that you won, Conner. That’s… totally a wow scene.”

Jaime swore in Spanish.

Conner glanced back at them (mainly because the longer he stared at Tim the hotter he felt his cheeks becoming) and saw that Bart held a notebook over his head which was decorating in glitter gel ink: WOW.  

Wait, did that mean-? Had Conner won?

“So… do I get to be Romeo?”

Tim began laughing a little bit hysterically, and then everyone was. Even Conner, though he wasn’t really sure why. “Yeah, sure, why not,” Tim said, but his voice and face slipped back to normal (infuriating). He gave Conner a pink-cheeked grin. “But we’re definitely working on the blocking for that scene.”

“What? You don’t want Conner to jump you in the middle of the play?” Steph giggled. Tim rolled his eyes at her, but Steph hopped to her feet and slid across the room in her socks.

“I wasn’t-”

“Dude, it was like, I know you’re Romeo and Juliet but get a room.” Bart agreed.

A blush rose in Conner’s cheeks. “I wasn’t-!”

But Tim ended the conversation with a snort and a shake of his head as he shifted into director mode. “Alright everyone, places. Let’s take it from the top.”

Ma was way more excited for the play than Conner was. He picked up his phone after football practice and was greeted with seven different messages that seemed to be a bunch of cancellations and ramblings. Ma wanted to know if she should bring a pie for a treat. Would he be hungry between practice and the play, after all they had about a thirty minute wait between. What foods were best for actors? Should she bring him a present for after he was done? Never mind, Conner, Pa had figured it all out. Ignore everything she’d sent. She would see him soon, and she loved him.

Tim was waiting in the locker room when Conner and Jaime made it out of the showers. He was curled up on the metal locker room bench, texting on his phone. He held their costumes in his hands and tossed the clothes to them. “Ms. Prince wants to do one more rehearsal before the parents get here.” He told them. “Also, film club is filming it for some school… spirit… yearbook… something, I don’t know. But, you’ll both need make-up for camera.”

Jaime groaned and pulled his costume on. His was the least inconspicuous of everyone else’s since he would be playing a handful of characters.

To separate between Capulets and Montagues they’d decided that they would have them wear different colored clothes. All Capulets wore red and black, and Montagues wore red, yellow, and blue. (Tim had said something about how the two reds would be symbolism of how similar the two families were despite their perceived differences, which Steph had giggled the entire way through. Conner couldn’t stifle his own laughter now that he knew that the clothes were probably Jason’s idea.)

Tim did Jaime and Conner’s make-up—simple blush so they would show up on camera and eyeliner and mascara. Then they were off.

Conner was shocked by how smooth the play went considering how anxious Ms. Prince was. Conner and his group were the second scene up, since they were doing an abridged version. It went flawlessly. Jaime didn’t forget any of his lines, Bart didn’t hurt anyone when he swung around his sword flamboyantly. La’gaan was regal and serious for once. Conner was pretty seductive if he said so himself. He didn’t kiss Tim on the lips, they’d decided to trade the kisses for a kiss on the hand (which really didn’t make sense with the script but, Conner supposed, they were being censored by the school and strictly ironic PG rating for the kids in the audience), and another on the cheek. Then came Steph’s act as the nurse, and her foreboding warning which she delivered perfectly.

The rest of the play went pretty well. Cassie’s death scene as Mercutio was touching, and Courtney and Maxine as the final Romeo and Juliet were stunning. The balcony could have been done better, Conner thought though when that group went up. Tim had been a much more convincing love-struck Romeo for sure.

After the play was over, Ma and Pa came running up to Conner to congratulate him. He was shocked to see Clark and Lois behind them, their son wasn’t with them though. Clark beamed, but let Ma do the gushing.

“That was fabulous, Conner! Very realistic!” She insisted. She had six de-thorned roses in her arms (that Conner knew were from her own garden) wrapped in a red ribbon. She undid the ribbon and handed one to Conner.

Conner felt himself turn red. “Aw, Ma...”

“You deserve it, young man!” Pa said curtly. Ma stood on her tiptoes to see over the crowds of other parents.

“Where are your castmates? I picked one for everyone!” Ma said.

Conner frowned. After the play had ended, the class had been rushed by parents and friends. He wasn’t sure. He spotted Bart and his Uncle Max over by the stage. “Over there.” Conner said pointing.

Ma handed a couple of roses to Conner. “Here, honey. Would you mind helping me hand them out?”

Conner smiled. “Sure thing, Ma.” He stuck his own behind his ear. “I’ll meet up with you guys in a little?” He asked Clark and Lois. Maybe he was being too hopeful.

“Of course, Stud.” Lois grinned, bumping his shoulder with hers. They were level in height now. “We’re taking you to dinner. Jon’s sorry he couldn’t make it, but bedtime is bedtime.”

“I get it, it’s fine.” Conner shrugged it off. He was just happy that he got to see Clark and Lois. Metropolis was far enough that they’d probably had to take off both today and tomorrow to get back. “Text me if I’m not back soon.”

“Sure thing,” Lois smiled at him. Conner really liked Lois. Totally out of Clark’s league.

Conner jogged off to find his group mates. He climbed up on the stage and scanned it but couldn’t find Tim or Steph. He did see Ma hit La’gaan and then start looking for Jaime. Conner decided he’d head for the missing two.

Now that he looked, he couldn’t find any of the Waynes. He took out his phone.

Conner

hey did yall leave yet?

Steph

sorry cowboy

Conner tried Tim.

Tim

I’m by the lockers. Forgot my history homework.

Conner

stay there

Tim

…

Why?

Conner

just trust me dude

Conner headed out to the lockers. He found Tim leaning against his, bag slung over one shoulder.

“Took you long enough,” Tim said.

Conner was used to Tim’s wicked smirk, or, he’d thought he was, but something weird happened to his belly as he saw Tim pull himself upright.

Tim’s eyes took in the flower behind Conner’s ear, and then the one in his hand. His eyes widened. He looked speechless.

Second time Conner had done that to him. Conner’s heart sped up and he felt himself smile giddily. He liked making Tim speechless.

Conner bowed and presented the rose to Tim. “For you, fair maiden.” He said.

When Conner looked up again, Tim’s face was pink. He brushed some of his long hair behind his ear and took the rose gently. As if he were afraid he’d break it. His hand shook.

“It’s from my grandmother,” Conner explained, “she wanted to give one to everyone in the group. Steph already left though, I’ll have to give her hers tomorrow.”

“Oh,” Tim said. “Tell her I say thank you.”

“Sure thing, dude.”

Tim stared at the rose, running some of his fingers over the petals. He raised it to his lips—no, that was stupid. His nose.

Why had Conner thought that?

His heart thumped loudly in chest.

“You know, it’s too bad.”

Tim looked up to meet Conner’s eyes again. “What is?”

“This… that it’s over. This was fun.”

Tim smiled. “Yeah, it was. You know, we always have room in the theater club-”

Conner laughed and pushed Tim gently. “Yeah, no thanks. You know what they say about theater kids.”

“Oh?” Tim asked amusedly. His attention, however, was back on the rose. He pressed it back to his nose, inhaling deeply. “What do they say?”

“They teach all y’all how to project, but they never teach y’all how to shut the fuck up.” Maybe that was why Conner liked seeing Tim speechless so often.

Tim laughed. “Well, don’t get me started on what they say about football players.”

Conner snorted. “Yeah, I guess you would win on that one.”

Tim’s eyes slid over to Conner’s slyly. “Is everything a game to you?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, banter, this play… you’re a good actor,” Tim mused, “you should have bargained higher.”

“Huh?”

“Well, the bet, that you won.”

“The one that made me Romeo?” Conner wasn’t sure where Tim was going with this. Tim twirled the rose between his fingers. “I’m aware of it. What? You think I should have haggled?”

Tim shrugged. “You were Romeo for a week and a half. Was it really worth it?”

“Are you kidding? I just wanted to get Romeo,” Conner shrugged, “and I got what I wanted. I always do.”

“Do you now?”

“Mmhm.” Conner grinned at Tim. Tim’s eyes were narrowed, his lips upturned into what was definitely a smirk. One black eyebrow quirked. Amused and condescending. Conner was beginning to like this Tim just as much as the blushing and speechless one. “I am Conner Kent,” he said as pompously as he could manage.

“Hmm. You know,” Tim said mildly. He put his own rose behind his ear. “I’m pretty used to getting whatever I want too. Pretentious and rich and all.”

“Really?” Conner asked, trying to make the excitement in his tone not show through. Tim was a better actor than Conner was. Conner would just have to learn from him, he supposed. He tried to match Tim’s indifference. “You got something in mind?”

“What are you doing tonight?”

This… was not where Conner had thought this conversation was going, but when he saw the sparkle in Tim’s playful blue eyes… Conner couldn’t help but be intrigued. But-

Lois. Clark. Ma and Pa.

“Shit.” Conner hissed. Tim looked shocked at this sudden change of tone. “I would. I totally would, but I’ve got this huge like, family dinner thing.”

Tim shrugged. “Friday night, then.” This time Tim was a little shyer about it, as if worried that Conner might say ‘no’ now.

Conner smiled. “Sure. Text me the details.”

Tim smiled back. “Yeah, okay.”

Conner turned to talk away, but as he did Tim caught his hand and pulled him back against him. Then Tim kissed him, fingers curling around his neck to bring Conner in closer and stroking the hair beside the rose in Conner’s hair. Conner tightened his grip around Tim’s waist, pulling him closer than they ever were as Romeo and Juliet. And tongue. Oh god, there was finally tongue. Tim tasted like peppermint and he was a really good kisser and-

When Tim finally broke the kiss (because it was Tim who broke it, not Conner who was too busy forgetting about the outside world) with a laugh, Conner heaved in air. Tim leaned on the lockers to support himself as he giggled.  

“What?”

“The Conner Kent, and The Tim Drake-Wayne,” Tim said. “It’s just, I think we might be what Steph would call a ‘power couple.’”

Now Conner was laughing too, but that was probably more because Tim was infectious than any hilarity. “Like Romeo and Juliet.”

Tim rolled his eyes and, still snickering, pushed himself upright. “A little less tragic though, I hope.”

“It’s funny,” Conner said, “how many teenagers do you think got together because of this play? Ironic, really. I feel Shakesy-P would be proud.”

Tim snorted. “Please never call Shakespeare that again.”

“Shakesy-P, Shakes-P, Shakesy-P-”

“And now I know why Romeo really died, it was because Juliet killed him.” Tim pushed Conner, teasingly.

“Well, if you want to get technical about it-” But Tim was pulling Conner in for another kiss.

“Shut up.” Tim told him.

After another kiss that made Conner go ‘wow,’ Conner pulled away, his phone buzzed in his pocket. “You’re so bossy.”

“And I always get what I want.” Tim added condescendingly.

“I haven’t forgotten. You’re also pretentious, and condescending, and-”

“Do you really want to go down this path, Kent?”

Conner pressed his lips to Tim’s for one last kiss, but broke it off far too early because of his fucking phone-

Conner took it out and checked it, even though he knew what the texts would say. “I have to go.”

“Your family. Yeah,” Tim said, a wry twist to his lips, “I haven’t forgotten.”

“Friday. Text me.”

“Will do, Juliet.” Tim called, saluting Conner with the gifted rose and Conner jogged away, laughing and red-faced.

Clark and Lois were staying over with Ma and Pa for the night so they all headed to the house after dinner. Conner was tired and full and happy, but he kept his eyes open the whole ride, waiting for Tim’s text. But it got later and later and there was little Conner could do, so he changed into pajamas and headed to bed.

The text finally came a little after midnight. Conner jerked up when he heard the chime of the text, half asleep.

Tim

You kiss by th’ book.

Sleep tight

Conner snorted and rolled over in his bed. Had to give it to Shakesy-P, he certainly knew how to write a pick-up line.

[youngjustus]

Hey!! sorry if youve already answered this but i couldnt find it anywhere! ive just started getting into dc comics and reading batfam mostly but i think young justice looks v cool so i was wondering if you had any recommendations of the best young justice comics or where to generally get started with them? Thank you!!

hi, welcome to comics! i haven’t really made a whole reading guide for the team, so you’re not missing anything or bothering me with this ask - i can absolutely help you get started with young justice. thanks for giving me an excuse to ramble about and recommend comics to read for my favourite team lol

i’m going to try to keep this as concise and easy to follow as i possibly can, but i know i’m going to make this longer than it needs to be, so it’s going under a read more.

so there are a few ways you can go about this: you can start by reading various origin stories, by reading the kids’ first meetings with each other, or you can literally just dive head first into young justice vol. 1 #1. i’ll make a short list for each of these starting points and also give some further reading at the end.

let’s start at the very beginning for the first appearances of each of the main kids, aka the core four.

a lonely place of dying (1989)

tim drake aka robin’s origin story. he technically first appears in the batman: year three arc, but it’s kind of just a cameo and this story expands upon it.

reign of the supermen! (1993)

conner kent aka superboy’s origin story. this ties into the much larger death and return of superman arc, but you can get away with just reading this.

i have a longer recommended reading list for conner that you can find here if you were interested in reading more of him.

the flash: reckless youth (1994)

bart allen aka impulse’s origin story. this ties into the dominator’s invasion! arc and then loosely into crisis on infinite earths and the trial of the flash, but none of those are necessary to read to understand his origin.

wonder woman: lifelines (1996)

cassie sandsmark aka wonder girl’s origin story.

next, their first meetings and team ups.

superboy & robin: world’s finest three (1996)

tim and conner’s first meeting.

robin plus impulse (1996)

tim and bart’s first meeting.

superboy and the ravers #7 (1997)

bart and conner’s first meeting.

impulse #28 (1997)

cissie king-jones aka arrowette’s first appearance and meeting with bart.

the boys finally meet cassie in young justice #4 (1999)

next, the first formation of what became young justice, leading into the original series.

jla: world without grownups (1998)

the first meeting of young justice.

young justice: the secret (1998)

secret’s first appearance and the boys’ first real mission together.

young justice vol. 1 (1998)

the beginning of the first on going series!

the original series is a total of #55 issues. it contains a number of mini story arcs that tie into a larger overarching story that lasts the whole series, so i’d really recommend just reading the entire thing.

there are a number of crossover events such as sins of youth, our world’s at war, joker’s last laugh, and world without young justice, but the editor’s notes will always tell you what comic to read next for the full story.

finally, if you enjoyed the original series, and want to see how the core four’s character development and stories continued, here are some additional comics:

titans / young justice: graduation day (2003)

the young justice team disbands.

some characters die.

teen titans vol. 3 (2003)

the core four join the newly reformed teen titans.

i have some issues with the writer’s portrayal of certain characters, as well as the handling of certain plot lines, but that’s for a different post.

infinite crisis (2006)

a follow up to crisis on infinite earths. the core four have various roles in this.

some characters die.

final crisis: legion of three worlds (2008)

this ties into the final crisis arc, and this specific comic mostly focuses on the legion of super heroes, but some characters that are part of the core four get resurrected.

the core four also all have their own solo series, if you were interested in reading their independent adventures.

tim has robin vol. 1-4 and red robin

conner has superboy vol. 4-5, superboy and the ravers, and adventure comics vol. 2 (again i have that longer rec list for him)

bart has impulse and the flash: fastest man alive (don’t read this one actually)

and cassie has wonder girl vol. 1-2

there is a current ongoing young justice series (volume 3 written by bendis), but i don’t know how i feel about this series overall yet, so my recommendation is pending. as of me writing this, there are less than 10 issues, so up to you if you’d like to get caught up for the new monthly on going.

anyways, i really hope this is all useful! i might at some point make in depth reading lists like i made for conner for bart, cassie, and tim. if you have additional questions, i am more than happy to help - no one is ever bothering me with asks, especially about young justice!

[incoherentbabblings]

Lol that last art. I know tim is erin and bart is orla. conner is michelle.

Throw Cassie and Cissie in there as Claire and James are you got the complete set of confused teenagers 

Like I always imagine Derry Girls as Core Four (plus Cissie) and original Misfits and Fab Five.  Like don’t ask me why but that whole I’m gonna take a shit in his bed scene just seems like something those five would have argued over at one point.  Tim’s gen are dumb and have only two brain cells both of which reside in Cassie, Dick’s never had the brain cell to begin with occasionally Donna growing one for a hot second only for her to bump her head and have it die on them (go to 42 seconds for reference warning for the rest of the video where some humour has aged badly).

[forthemultiverse]

AU Questions: If Robin/Dick Grayson, Kid Flash/Wally West, Aqualad/Garth and Miss Martian became the Team (under different circumstances), how would they interact with each other? Who do you think would be in charge of that group of teenage heroes? Robin, KF or 'Lad? And what happens when they clash with the Secret Spies of The Light (which includes Artemis, Kaldur, Superboy and their newest member in Icicle Junior) sometimes?

The real question is what are the new circumstances that form them together? Becuase that would definitely shape the team slightly, like if it was just the boys and Roy storming out with M’gann coming later then it would all be pretty normal, if it was like some invasion or something then that make the team a more hardcore team with more pressure on trust and relationships. 

Adding Garth over Kaldur would be more like the Titans comics which means they would all click. Part of the thing about Young superhero teams, even for the characters without powers - they are trained to take down people with powers, and when you’re a teen, having someone like you means you often end up being friends, whether you have anything else in common or not. Part of what I love about the Young Justice comics is how the group kind of bonds together without having much common ground. Cissie and Cassie bond because they have similar names and having that one thing sparks a really strong friendship.

I reckon Robin would be the leader because he is trained to be that way and it’s hard to argue with a Bat. Plus, Dick is so likable that people do tend to gravitate towards him. But then, you do have the issue that Wally would probably want some role or want to prove himself that could create tension. If we’re going off comics, they’re still pretty close friends (I think) so it would probably be an episode thing - they’re battling for control, one goes in alone or does something rash that maybe works out but pisses the team leader off. Dick would also be a very problematic leader in the beginning because of his need for fun and lack of communication, but he’d soon be hit with reality. Like they’d try other leaders for a bit after his lack of communication caused a problem but then it’s proved that his plans are the best and he is a very good people person when he’s allowed to be him and not a miny Bruce. That could then be played into the Nightwing transition and their falling out - He’s his own person and he’s good at what he is. ( I feel like I’m turning this into a Titans/Teen Titans thing now 🤣)

Without Superboy, Miss Martian might fall a bit more into Wally’s flirting which would be interesting to see. The dynamic would change definitely. They’d maybe get together but it would take longer since M’gann didn’t actually like Wally’s flirty - He’d have to realise that he was making her uncomfortable because she snaps and he then starts trying to prove himself till she falls, or it would be one of those suddenly he’s serious moments in the middle of a battle or mission and she’d see him differently. I don’t think it would last though, not at all. Whether my Artemis point in a later paragraph is the reason or just they realise they don’t click perfectly and not all teen romances last forever (which would be a good message tbh)

I’m taking secret spies of the light to mean they aren’t part of the team at all and a team the group clash with, which would be so interesting to see.

Superboy would be a big gun to fight but since Batman has connections to Kryptonite, Robin should have it covered. The debate would then be that Superman would want him brought to the right side and wouldn’t necessarily be okay with Kryptonite just being used out there. He would probably try and talk Conner over to the right side which would plant doubt in Conner’s head but wouldn’t work completely. 

If Artemis was fighting for the Light, I imagine her to be similar to the way Cheshire is, the flirting and mind games. I reckon Wally and her would probably have a similar chemistry, where she’s undercover somewhere, he flirts, she’s revealed as evil and he takes it a personal declaration of war - meaning whenever they meet there’s that tension and his game goes off a bit because he doesn’t know what to do. She is his to take down. She still has her show spunk and attitude that would probably get her in trouble with the Light a few times. That added with Icicle Junior would be fun because ice countering speed. Wally realising he needs to let the team help him and stop focusing on just Artemis.  

(I’m coming up with like a full story idea now so thank you lol)

Garth and Kaldur would also be a personal fight - whether Tula or just Aqualad chose you and lied to me fight (probs both). I could also see Garth being goodish at leading but I still feel like it would probably fall mainly on Dick 

M’gann and Robin would have the least personal conflicts till M’gann tries to go in Conner’s head and see’s the pain he’s in and makes it her mission to help him.

I like to think the teams would end up working together to bring down the Light because I’m all for redemption arcs plus learning to be one team and trust each other would be awesome. 

Sorry if this is full of grammar and spelling errors + longer than expected, I’m writing this very late. Interested why you wanted to know though and what your own opinion is 😊