#the way it goes by pennneminem

[ky-landfill]

Could you please do Bruce calming Tim from a panic attack or nightmare please? 🙏

[book-keep]

the way it goes

By pennneminem

It’s, surprisingly, Alfred that kickstarts one of the worst days of his life. Or: Tim doesn't realize how not okay he is until he suddenly does. The fallout is bad.

God- this fucked me up so bad. So bad, because it's easy to resonate with the characters, it's easy to empathize with their struggles; their hurt burrows into my chest until it's indistinguishable from my own. A phenomenal writing of trauma, a phenomenal character study.

Anyone reading this, mind the tags, take care of yourself, there's someone out there who loves you.

[cyrilhood]

I'm actually cackling mentally at this

(the way it goes by pennneminem on ao3)

[violettavonviolet]

Tim Drake fic recs part 3

All of these fics are finished and amazing! The word count progressively goes up and all the ratings are noted, but def do check the tags for any triggers. all fics that have been stuck in my head since I read them are marked with a star.

Batfamily genfic's

Gotta Roll With The Curveballs

justapoorboy

Summary:

“How’d you cry so easily?” Duke asks, still entirely too awkward because no matter what Steph says, Duke still thinks Tim is kinda cool in a weird way. A really weird way.

“Oh, I classically conditioned myself over winter break when I was eleven. All I have to do to tear up is pinch a certain point on my arm. See?” Tim viciously pinches a spot on his inner forearm. Immediately tears start to well in his eyes.

Or: Duke Thomas dealing with Tim Pod-Baby Drake and what exactly that entails.

4.5k crack gen

A Matter of Trust

KelpieCodyne

Summary:

When Damian learns of an unexpected list of Batman contingencies, he's forced to go to Tim to vent.

And in doing so, might help the two of them find some common ground.

5k tim & dami gen

Days I Have Held (Days I Have Lost)

sepia_stained_sunset

Summary:

“You’ve outgrown me”

Damian frowns when he meets Tim’s gaze. He doesn’t say or do anything that warrants the feeling of loss that crawls up his arms and settles in his bones.

Then Tim is leaning towards him, on his toes, hands automatically going to his hair and mussing up his locks like he can’t fully miss the chance to annoy him. Still, his grip is gentle and his smile is real and Damian is more than glad to pretend that his eyes are devoid of their bitter sadness.

Or, Damian outgrows Tim. It shouldn't change anything, really, but it does. It does.

9k tim & damian gen

Satisfactory Bonding Activities

raven_of_hydecastle

Summary:

“Look, Dick and I had no idea how to be brothers either," Jason said, "but we made an effort to spend time together. If you and the demon brat aren’t sure where to start, maybe you can decide on some things to kick start these bonding activities.”

“Like what?”

“Hell if I know. Play twister, do an escape room, take over the world, learn to knit, I don’t care. Just pick something you can both agree will keep you busy for an hour or two and it’ll be fine. Now hand me that Molotov, these guys are going down.”

12k gen, tim & Damian

So...Rock, Paper, Scissors?

Miss_Lazy_Tuesday

Summary:

His smile widens. “You will pick one to kill. I shall give you ten minutes to decide and say your goodbyes. If you have not killed one of your brothers when the time is up, I will kill all three.”

Jason feels the bottom drop out of his stomach. This was supposed to buy him time, not give him a literal deadline.

“You see, little blade? I have made it so easy for you. You aren’t even really killing one. You are saving two. Your time starts now.”

24k angst mature

i can't let go when somethings broken

pennneminem

Summary:

the sky is blue, the earth is round, dick and bruce fight.

tim wishes it was a little easier sometimes.

or: tims crash course in the remains of childhood, rose colored glasses, and the economics of brotherhood

28k gen angst

Bludhaven Police Department

Lady_of_Lorule

Summary:

Sgt. Amy Rohrbach learns that her partner, rookie cop Dick Grayson, is not what he seems. Or how Amy finds out that Dick Grayson is the heir to the entire Wayne fortune, the vigilante Nightwing, the leader of the Titans, and meets some of the Batfam and the Titans along the way.

31k gen humor

right place, wrong time

Valkirin

Summary:

Twelve-year-old Tim Drake has homework to finish and dinner waiting at home. He even has an invitation to spend time with Bruce before patrol the next day reviewing toxins and antidotes. It doesn't matter that Bruce prefers to keep things all-business and down in the Batcave. Having Robin again is helping, Tim can already see that, and it's always a relief to know when he's invited back.

Sixteen-year-old Tim Drake decides that he'd rather keep his distance from the tempting research project Bruce has across two work tables. It's archaeology and time travel all at once, even more interesting than usual after Bruce's long trip through time, but Bruce probably won't crack that in one night. Getting involved in the project will eliminate Tim's chance to escape to his apartment for a quiet evening rather instead of struggling through an awkward dinner with Jason and Damian and Bruce.

When the Tims suddenly switch times and places, twelve-year-old Tim has an invitation to dinner and sixteen-year-old Tim knows just what kind of ripples someone can leave from the past.

38k teen angst

Say Uncle

Megaerakles

Summary:

Tim is prepared to take the steps necessary to ensure that Bruce will not feel obligated to adopt Tim when a comatose Jack Drake inevitably dies. But what could be better than preventing Bruce from ending up with a son he doesn't want? Bringing back the one he does.

Jason agrees to the Replacement's stupid, stupid plan to invite some strange adult man he's never met to come live with him, if only to keep the idiot alive long enough for him to serve his purpose in the Great Red Hood Revenge Scheme.

Might this new roommate situation have an impact on either of their worldviews? Surely not...

46k teen

Vultures, Squirrels, and Other Flying Menaces

AstraEllis

Summary:

He used to think that Batman needs a Robin. 

Now, Tim’s pretty sure that Robin was only ever a band-aid. 

He never tried to learn Batman’s identity, but he knows it, and Tim has no idea what to do next to save Gotham from Bruce Wayne’s violent rage. 

He becomes Batman’s shadow – never sidekick – trying to clean up the wreckage he leaves behind. 

A vulture, trying to remove decay before it has a chance to poison everything. 

Tim’s quest to save Gotham from Batman leads him to the most obvious victim – the man’s first Robin. But Dick Grayson’s grief is complex and deep, and not something the twelve-year-old has a fix for. 

What Tim Drake does have, however, is the know how to make money difficult to trace and a certain phone number.

51k dick & Tim & jason found family

Option C

CasualGeek

Summary:

Jason had to make a choice.

Enact his vengeance by killing the Joker himself.

Or

Forget Gotham and stay with Talia.

However, there was an option C.

One that could end with the Joker dead, with Bruce proven wrong and with Gotham changed for the better.

Jason took Gotham to court.

78k teen

cards on the table

wesslan

Summary:

Tim's parents faked their deaths and fled the country years ago, but neglected to take him with them. He spent some time on the streets, and now at 16, he makes a living as a fortune teller, stalking and hustling the shit out of Gotham's elite by telling them eerily accurate fortunes based on the information he gathers about them.

His life is peculiar but he wouldn't change a thing. When he gets booked for the big Wayne Halloween party, however, he finds himself getting all tangled up with the Waynes, and the more fortunes he tells, the tighter the snare becomes.

or: Tim just wanted to scam Gotham's elite, not end up on the Batfamily's watchlist. But it seems they just won't leave him alone..

69k not rated

Bruce Wayne

there but for the grace of god

TheResurrectionist

Summary:

From a tumblr prompt. 

AKA, "A Justice League fic where everyone argues about who's the most beautiful and intimidating sexy from the Big Three and everyone has valid points."

3.7k crack not rated 

Aliens Made Us Do It

FabulaRasa

Summary:

Bruce and Hal run into a little bit of cultural difficulty on an off-world mission. This was really, really not supposed to be Bruce Wayne's wedding day. Consider this story the traditional fannish "oh no we have to get married!" with a BatLanterny twist at the end

25k explicit hal/bruce

Acid Rain and Black Umbrellas

heartofhush

Summary:

Clark Kent hates Gotham. The people are weird, it's always raining, and nobody will give him a straight answer about anything.

He's certain that these people know who the Batman is, but nobody is talking. He just needs to find one of them willing to spill the secret. Any one of them. Seriously, there MUST be at least one.

His teenage son-clone-whatever is losing his powers, and Clark is torn between finding a cure, flirting with Bruce Wayne, and trying to figure out who the hell the Batman is under that cowl. 

Maybe this Tim Drake kid knows something useful.

39k bruce/clark timkon

Friends - Definitions May Vary

Slades_Snowflakes

Summary:

Bruce Wayne and Lex Luther are not friends.

However, Bruce Wayne's persona Brucie is about to re-define what friends means. And due to a series of weird and random moments, Bruce is about to learn that Lex Luthor could be a friend. Whatever that means.

154k Bruce/Lex

[nana-mizu-shiki]

Fuck the bats, honestly.

[waywardducks]

It is, once again, time to reread ‘The Way it Goes’ by Pennneminem.

[selkienight60]

🌼 𝔽𝕒𝕟𝕗𝕚𝕔𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟 ℝ𝕖𝕔𝕠𝕞𝕞𝕖𝕟𝕕𝕒𝕥𝕚𝕠𝕟𝕤 🌼

JUNE 2023

Enjoy!

∘₊✧── 🌼 ──✧₊∘  ∘₊✧── 🌼 ──✧₊∘

RECOMMENDATIONS:

borderline - TheResurrectionist

Catching Icarus - Fantasyfire

find the memory, confront it like a crime - Anonymous

IF EVERYTHING IS TEMPORARY (I WILL BEAR THE UNBEARABLE). - orpheusaki

IS IT JUST YOU AND ME IN THE WRECKAGE OF THE WORLD? - orpheusaki

Little Overlooked Dreams - Lunette3002

Love You A Little Bit - Kannika

of guilt - adelfie

Remember, Remember - heartslogos

the paradox of boomerangs - cassiopeia721

the way it goes - pennneminem

FIC OF MY OWN:

 Fault Line - sElkieNight60

∘₊✧── 🌼 ──✧₊∘  ∘₊✧── 🌼 ──✧₊∘

🌸 ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇsᴇ ʀᴇᴄs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ғᴇᴇʟ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴋɴᴏᴡ ʙʏ ʟᴇᴀᴠɪɴɢ ᴀ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛ ᴏʀ ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢɢɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ sʜᴀʀᴇ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴏᴛʜᴇʀs! 🌸 ғᴏʟʟᴏᴡ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ! 🌸 ɪғ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴀɴғɪᴄ ʀᴇᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴅᴀᴛɪᴏɴs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ғᴇᴇʟ ғʀᴇᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴅʀᴏᴘ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴏᴍᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴏʀ ʀᴇʙʟᴏɢ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀᴅ��ɪᴛɪᴏɴs!

[mangoisms]

Wait if we're giving Tim fic recs I need everyone in the world to read "the way it goes" by pennneminem that fic changed ny life crushed my soul and i came out of it a much different person

yeah yeah yeah give ‘em here! i glanced over the first chapter very quickly and i already like how it starts. will add it to my to-read since it’s too late for me to embark on a fic rn without losing some sleep (and here’s the link if anyone wants to get a jumpstart on that) thank you for the rec anon!!! ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

[birdielikesbatfam]

Long Fics (like 15k+):

Dangerous and Noble Things by destiny919 - Tim joins the Batfam late because he was kidnapped by Ra's Al Ghul as a kid and trained to be an assassin. Really good, has a Jason who lived and a lot of guilt from the rest of the Batfamily when they realize they never noticed their neighbor was missing for all this time.

The Hearts of Gotham by schrijverr - a really funny idea based on Bruce accidentally-on-purpose tricking the Justice League into thinking he's a cryptid with two heartbeats.

I'll Still Love You Anyway by PechoraFlow - I cannot recommend this fic to you enough. It's basically a platonic soulmate au focused on Bruce and his relationships with his children because he decided not to let them know he's their soulmate. Lots of fluff but also lots of angst. Genuinely my favorite Batfam fic on ao3.

5 Times Bruce called Jason Son and 1 Time Jason called Bruce Dad by AlexaAffect - A really good fic about Jason and Bruce rebuilding their relationship after everything that happened.

seeing double by julodinae_sunsets - I LOVE THIS FIC. After Jason's death, Harvey kind of snaps out of it a little bit (with a bit of outside help, but that's spoilers) and goes to comfort Dick while he's spiraling into depression. Has a really fun uncle-nephew relationship between Harvey and Dick that is really nice to see rebuilt.

Time And Again by navpike - Bruce doesn't tell Dick or Jason about him being Batman, and it all spirals from there. Has lots of miscommunication and misunderstandings, and is just really good.

Stargazer by LemonadeGarden - Jason gets injured and has to stay in the manor. Is a really good exploration of Jason's PTSD and about Bruce and Jason reconciling and becoming family again.

Life Begins By Leaving by ihaveathingforpink - this is one about Jason and it is just SO GOOD that I can't not recommend it. It's about him buying and rebuilding a house while rebuilding a relationship with his family after a big traumatic case™ and it is just. so good. I love it a lot.

we're in this mellow mayhem together by atlasky - a really sweet series about Jason running away to Hal Jordan when Bruce pissed him off as a kid. Is really heartbreaking at points, but is really worth the read.

The Robin Declaration by waterunderthebridge12 - Duke is the one who really gets to shine here. Basically a slightly-cracky au where Tim, Duke, and Damian (plus Cass eventually) discover ao3 and how they're mischaracterized on there and decide to use it to their advantage. It's part of a series which is both hilarious and a really great read and I've gotta say the author understands all of the characters really well. Is part of a series that is just really really good.

Bonds and Brothers by boredomsMuse - Red Hood and Nightwing become friends before Jason reveals his identity. Just a fun fic with lots of secret identity nonsense and a heartwarming end, does feature an eh-at-best parent Bruce though just a heads up, but he barely shows up in the fic.

Blood in the Water by MichaBerry - This is one of my favorite Tim-centric fics in the fandom. It's an au where Tim is Bruce's bio kid, though they don't know that. Has some really good Tim characterization, probably some of the best I've seen in the fandom.

Into the Brighter Night by shoalsea - an exploration of Tim's relationship with both his vigilante work and his relationships with his family after his Red Robin run, mostly told through outsider POVs. Has my favorite characterization of Tim that I think I've ever read in a fic.

So...Rock, Paper, Scissors? by Miss_Lazy_Tuesday - A villain forces Jason to choose which of his brothers he has to kill, which leads to some interesting revelations about his brother's self worth.

Little Birds by SpaceWall - Jason comes back to a Gotham sans Batman and his family.

the way it goes by pennneminem - really really really angsty fic about Tim finally breaking down after the Battle for the Cowl and his Red Robin run and finally getting the apologies he deserves.

Satisfactory Bonding Activities by raven_of_hydecastle - Tim decides he needs to bond with Damian, and the only activity they can agree on is taking over the world.

Late Night Encounters by paperxcrowns - Tim and Red Hood meet before Robin and Red Hood do. If only Hood realized the kid he meets in the diner is the same one he wants to beat to a pulp.

Say Uncle by Megaerakles - Tim knows that his father probably won't wake up from his coma, so he decides he's going to make a fake uncle. He realizes that Red Hood is Jason Todd, and hey, maybe the best way to get Jason back into the family is to hire him as his fake uncle!

How Fine You Look When Dressed In Rage by ebjameston - Jason comes back to a Gotham where Bruce is hallucinating and both Nightwing and the Joker have been missing for over a year.

In Another Life by LERDM - Instead of beating up Tim for taking Robin, Jason decides to take up the mantle of Ghost to protect Robin.

GO HOME, IDIOT by antebunny - Another fic where Jason befriends Nightwing before revealing his identity, and decides that maybe it would be a good idea to just... go home.

Killing the Past (And Coming Back to Life) by RaaorQtpbpdy, TaraLaurel - Tim is there the day Jason crawls out of his grave.

Code of Silence by JHSC - Willis Todd doesn't die in prison. Some things end up better because of it.

how easily we turn into those we hate by DSS1101 - Tim compares Jason to the Joker during the Titan's Tower incident. It changes things.

Like a Note in a Bottle by starknjarvis - Instead of becoming Red Hood, Jason hops a flight to France and reinvents himself.

Come Alive by CaptainOzone for ErinNovelist - Dick finds Jason before he took a dip in the pit and gets a baby Damian as a bonus!

Short Fics (Between 1k-10k):

Control Alt Delete by audreycritter - short, but very angsty, focuses on Bruce as a Dad and him having to make a really tough decision for his kids. Ngl I cried when reading this one.

ya'aburnee by destiny919 - Tim gets buried alive in this one, and Jason's the only one who can save him.

The Third Degree by audreycritter - this is a shorter one, but if you like Bruce and Harvey you'll like this fic. Harvey turns to Bruce during one of his more lucid moments after he escapes Arkham, and it is very heartbreaking as they come to terms with the fact that they can never be friends again in the way they once were.

Time Missed by cookieTHEdragon - Tim goes missing, Dick and Alfred are stuck in traffic, Bruce is spiraling, and Jason's the only one who can help.

Paint Cans and Sneaking Out by CarrionCarnival - Damian sneaking out on nights when he's benched to do graffiti and has to do some epic parkour to escape Nightwing.

The Price of Blame by AlexaAffect - The Batkids realize that Jason doesn't get in trouble for anything, so they use it to their advantage until Jason finds out and decided to us it to his advantage.

School of Rock by Vamillepudding - when Jason comes back from the dead, instead of beating Tim up, he decides to become his english teacher. You can image how that goes.

The 90s Are Back! by RedWritingHood - reverse robins au with a deaged Tim.

Bang, bang by Ididloveyou_once - Jason teaches Tim how to shoot a gun, but Tim accidentally shoots Jason. They would just treat the injury, but Alfred is expecting them upstairs, and Bruce would be so mad if he found out Tim shot Jason...

So If You Will (Please Fall In Love With Me) by egg_thief - the only ones who don't know Tim and Kon are dating are Tim and Kon.

Know your body by Dark_Nymphs_translates (Dunkle_Nymphen) - Red Hood switches bodies with Nightwing before he reveals his identity.

Road Rage Robin by heartslogos - Tim has road rage and how the family reacts. Absolutely hilarious.

Boom, Boom, Pow! by LilaVaporizer9000 - Baby Timmy steals the Batmobile, runs over the Joker, and gains a family.

Life in the Fast Lane by TheResurrectionist - Jason gets in an epic car chase to steal a minivan back. Tim is just along for the ride.

all the men and women merely players by IzzyMRDB - Tim knows that he's in a comic book.

Mistakes Were Made (or Every Fifteen Minutes) by Undercover_fangirl - Tim decides to participate at school, leading the rest of his family to think he's dead.

meet your niece by Frill - Tim adopts a cat.

Clockwork by heartslogos for protagonistically (the_protagonist) - Slice of life fic about Bruce and Tim's relationship. Really sweet.

And Lonely by cookieTHEdragon - Bruce knows they have a stalker, and has Jason try to apprehend him. How was he supposed to know their stalker would be little brother shaped!

If you'd like anymore, feel free to let me know and I'll find some more for ya!

I'm about to have a long time with no internet, so if people could leave completed batfam fanfic recs for me to download, that would be great!!

the longer the better!!

(i'd like to avoid batcest though cause I very much don't like reading that and filter it out on my own when scrolling)