#tim and him eventually start dating again anyway

[littlepikmins]

I've decided that Bernard is an honorary member of the Batfamily because what exactly makes someone a member of the batfamily anyway? He's been dating Tim for quite a while now, so is that not enough to be part of the Batfamily?

Do they all need to be vigilantes to be part of the family? Because Alfred doesn't go out fighting people and he's still part of the Batfam.

Also, I think Bernard being the one just regular civilian in the family is cool and funny because he's actually insane like the rest of the Batfam he just seems like a regular dude at first.

[windybluebelles]

Bernard Dowd is approximately 15 years old, has just had his allowance cut off, was fired from his job, and is 99% sure that both his best friends are somehow involved in the mob.

(I mean he wasn’t entirely wrong on either front but hey ho, no use dwelling on it)

All this means is that he has no money and no good way to spend his free time as Tim and Darla are always “Busy”

So when he hears of an up and coming crime lord just desperate for new recruits, he jumps on it!

(Guys I swear he’s a good person most of the time, he’s also a teenager who is rude or die and if his besties are involved in the mob who’s to say he shouldn’t be?)

Jason Todd (who was really only mildly desperate for new recruits, thank you very much) takes one look at clearly a child Bernard and immediately turns him down.

Bernard does what everyone else in his generation did and just ignores him and starts following him around everywhere.

Hey! Atleast he doesn’t have a camera and isn’t in a cape!

Jason falls victim to the same thing that Bruce did and realises that Bernard will continue doing what he wants and the only thing he can do is either help him or break his legs. Unfortunately he has a policy against hurting kids, even bitchy annoying ones with stupid sunglasses.

Several years go by,

He no longer has those friends, he doesn’t speak with his parents, and he’s about to enter college. He really doesn’t have time to be one of Hood’s merry men anymore.

He quits the life of crime, accepts his last pay check, and gets given a personal number from his boss.

(Of course they aren’t friends, don’t be silly! Jason is glad to see the stupid kid gone, gone off to civilian life where he’ll never see him again!…)

Bernard starts college, a dual major in Medicine and Cookery cause he hates himself, and almost immediately joins a cult!

…Should he have stayed with the Crime Lord?

Probably! ANYWAY-

Another year or so passes, he leaves the cult, starts dating Timothy Drake-Wayne, eventually finds out his boyfriend is Robin, yadayadayada boringggg

Bernard is at Wayne Manor one day when he hears a voice he never thought he’d hear again.

And then it’s like that spider man meme idk, I can’t write guys I’m so sorry

[introspectivememories]

obsessed with the idea of timbern baby. like it starts in the cult and bear finds this kid, literal child, in the cult and y'know he may be a depressed and suicidal bastard but he's not so far gone that he's just gonna ignore a literal child (let's call him luka) in the pain cult. and bear's been rising through the ranks, so he smuggles luka out and tells (read: lectures) him to stay out. except this is the first time anyone's ever really cared about luka, so luka just latches onto bear.

eventually bear starts letting luka stay over at his apartment bc whoever was taking care of the luka before clearly doesn't care if he was left unsupervised enough to join a pain cult. so it becomes this kind of family unit. bear wakes up, wakes luka up, drops luka off at school, then goes to class, comes home and makes some food so luka has smth to eat after school, fucks around with the cult for a few hours, and then goes home and tries to avoid luka's concerned glances. wash, rinse, repeat.

and this is going well for a good few years and then senior year of college, everything goes into overdrive. bear who has risen through the ranks of the cult has been chosen for the sacrifice and yeah, luka will be sad when he dies or whatever but he's got money set aside for luka. luka can live on without him.

and then tim comes back into his life. tim drake from high school. his tim drake. darla's tim drake. their tim drake. who likes skateboarding and photography and is maybe a little too serious about mario kart. tim drake comes back and for a brief, weightless, moment, bear thinks he can do this. he can do this life thing and want to live. he can take care of luka and watch him graduate and be friends with tim again. he can stop blowing off the people at school who want to be friends with him. he can live again.

and then, like he does with everything, he ruins it. luka sees him off on the night of his "not-date" with tim drake with a teasing shout of "don't put out on the first date dad!" bear whacks him upside the head. the not-date goes really well right up until the fucking cult kidnaps him and preps him over the course of the next few days for the sacrifice. as he greets the pain like an old friend, all he thinks in between the haze of getting whipped is that luka must be going out of his mind with worry. and then they have him strapped to the altar and he lets the wine they're practically waterboarding him with take him away. his leader raises the knife and bear relaxes. this is where he was always meant to be. he has no other purpose than to be the vessel. it's not like he meant much anyway.

and then, robin is bursting onto the scene and punching the leaders in the face and somewhere in between kicking ass and taking names, bear realizes he wants to live. like for real, for real. he wants to wake up tomorrow. he doesn't actively want to die. he wants to see luka walk the stage at his high school graduation. he wants to hear tim drake laugh one more time. so he lets robin save him and then goes home and lets luka sob and fuss over him as bear promises to be a better parent.

and that's it he thinks. he definitely scared tim off with the whole getting kidnapped and being part of a cult thing. it's okay, he tells himself, at least you got tim back for a little while. but then tim is showing up at his door like a week later and he wants to go on a proper date?? like an actual date. bear is overjoyed but wary. tim drake is tim drake-wayne and bear is bernard dowd who has been consistently fucking up his life since his best friend got shot and died in high school. he figures that this thing between them will last maybe what, 4 months, before tim realizes he can do better.

except it lasts long than 4 months. it goes on for almost a year before bear realizes that tim is here to stay. well, fuck, now he has to tell his boyfriend that he has a kid. lord knows, luka wants to meet him too. so he texts tim one day, can we talk? and tim shows up at the cafe nervous and panicky. and bear just fucking blurts it out. i've got a kid. he says.

what? tim replies. i've got a kid. like a kid i'm raising. like a son. he says. so you're not breaking up with me? tim asks slowly. what? no! and so he explains the whole situation and tim just laughs a little hysterically and goes how does this happen twice? except now tim wants to meet his kid. so bear brings him over and to put it gently, it's a fuckin disaster. luka hates tim. tim spends the next year trying to get into luka's good graces. it only works when bear gets kidnappped for umpteenth time and tim spends the two weeks bear is missing for, taking care of luka and spending lots of his considerable fortune getting bear back.

[krizariel]

Oh don't tell me... you are f*cking my ex?!

(crack, not-fic, jaytim with past timsteph) Talking with friends about how a friend - who was into jaytim and was a tim fan before he was even registered in my radar - unintentionally got me into jaytim; but then he moved on pretty much as I came in and now he has to put up with me and my never-ending duck giggling butt emojis. Or how he eloquently put it: "I'm literally like a tragic dramatic irony mythical Greek MC, just a plaything of fate" Anyway, I remembered this vague idea and then this took shape:

No-capes AU in which Tim was never adopted by Bruce, but the rest (including Steph and Jason) were. Jason is very protective of his family, especially his sisters. And yes, Steph is a gremlin and gets in trouble more often than not, but damn it no one messes with his sister.

Tim and Steph started dating during mid-school; Tim tends to be asked out more often than not and he has trouble saying no. Often times he does not feel truly attracted to anyone; but he does not want to be seen as uptight or impolite or worse... questioned. He often accepts his dates until eventually they get bored of him. Steph was a change of pace of him and at some point he genuinely was feeling attraction to her; but maybe not to the extent she deserved. She asked him out and was always the one initiating anything, and he'd often go along with it. She was amazing, full of life, funny and so pretty; Tim didn't know what exactly she saw in him. However, she'd quickly notice his lack of enthusiasm/interest and often they'd fight. Why say yes when you aren't truly into it? They were on and off for a year until they broke things off for real. Jason of course hated Tim's guts; be that way whatever, but making his sister cry and mistreating her was a different story. After breaking up, Tim tried to reach out to Steph later, to try and explain himself better and be honest with her. She deserved that much. Except Jason found him before Tim could reach his sister; punched him hard enough to send him off-balance, grabbed him and pushed him against the wall to make it very clear he should not get near his sister again or else... (and Tim was scared to shit because danger danger but also creepily turned on when Jason grabbed him and raised him off the floor so easily. He needs to consult a therapist as to why Jason threatening turned him on and somehow that started his bi awakening) Eventually Steph and Tim moved on with their lives, continue dating other people, and given that they still have friends they reconnect, reminiscence of the past and talk it out. They also eventually come out and bond over both being bi. Fast forward years later, neither Tim or Jason had seen each other again; but Tim stays in touch with Steph. Tim is a well known editor at a big publisher and Jay is an aspiring book writer. Steph had given Tim her brother's original novel draft and he actually loved it. Steph: So, remember my brother Jason? Tim: Your hot brother who kicked my ass in front of half the school hates my guts? how could I forget. Steph: Yeah! He is the one who wrote this fabulous piece. Think you can help him? Tim *internally trying not to scream because what are the odds*: ...Sure. If he agrees to meet, I have time tomorrow. But you better be there, in case he remembers he told me not to get near you. I fear for my life. Steph: Don't be dramatic, he probably doesn't even remember you.

---- Steph: Sooo... I have a friend who is an editor at X publisher. He read your work and loved it. He actually thinks it has high chances to be published. Jason: Really? Steph: Yeah! Told him we could meet with him tomorrow for coffee and go over the details. Jason: Wait who is this friend? Do I know him? Steph: Well... remember this boyfriend I had back in mid-school... Jason, as he stops what he is doing, turns to Steph and glares: The one I hit and pushed against the wall and told to never get near you ever again? That one? Steph: Yes! Jason: Wait, he got actually near you again? *starts cracking knuckles* Steph: Yes, but not that way! I wouldn't take that human disaster for a ride and I'd pity anyone who'd date him. Plus I'm perfect with Cass, thank you very much. But we made peace long time ago and we've been good friends since. I'm sure he doesn't hold grudges, after all he knows the work is yours and had no trouble! It's been years, we have all grown up and moved on.

Jason: Fine. ---- The meeting was awkward at the beginning (especially due to Jason's perpetual scowl) but Tim is clearly very professional and jumps right into business. They exchange contact information. It's clear Tim genuinely likes Jason's work. He puts a lot of effort in navigating Jason through the process, giving detailed comments/notes and Jason is happy to see someone catching on the little details and talk excitedly about them. May not be much but internally he is preening. They start meeting often for coffee, at first they'd talk more about work rather than chitchat and then their meetings started evolving into less work and more random talk, getting to know each other. Sometimes they don't finish talking about the book because they got too distracted. Tim opens up about his teen years, how he was (and still is) too dumb for relationships. He didn't know better but as he matured he learned to accept himself. Jason realizes Tim wasn't that bad of a guy as he thought; just someone making mistakes, learning and growing.

Tim finds he hasn't enjoyed someone's company in a while. He has dated guys before and has matured enough to be better and accept what he wants. But as years went by he poured himself into work and has been so busy, he doesn't exactly have lasting relationships so he stopped altogether. This time around, he feels like he genuinely is giving his all. He decides that he will see that Jason's book becomes a reality because Jason is talented, he is amazing and deserves this. And then, he will gather the courage and ask him out. Jason is also troubled because he is developing a fat crush on his sister's ex and he did NOT see that coming.

The day Jason's book is finally out, they celebrate and Tim asks Jason out on a date. ----

Later: Steph: SMH I can't believe you! Jason: ... it's your fault

[prismuffin]

how tim,damian,miles (separated) reacted to an unexpected date request from their crush

tim,damian,miles are just having a quiet conversation with the reader,while the reader is listening to them talking the reader is admiring their beauty then all of a sudden the reader lets out a "want to date me?"

SMSNSNSK I WOKE UP FROM MY NAP SAW THIS AND LEAPED TO TUMBLR- ANYWAYS I think that-

Tim was just rambling to you about his new tech idea. He wasn’t exactly looking at you as he spoke, more so off to the side, his hands waving about. There was a pause in his talking as he sighed to catch his breath, “Go on a date with me.” He practically choked, his head snapping towards you. He had stopped to catch his breath and yet you somehow still knocked the breath out of him. “Wh-What?” “A date, with me, would you want to?” You asked again and he swallowed thickly. “U-uh you just asked- I mean yes I would but- I just wasn’t expecting-“ you laughed at his reddening face, “too forward?” He nodded sheepishly and you clapped your hands, a large smile still on your face.

Damian probably would’ve been just ranting to you about his dad and brothers. He’s glad you let him complain to you, it’s part of the reasons he likes you so much. “I could just really use a win right now,” he said, ending his rant temporarily, resting his head on his palm. “You could go on a date with me,” he blinked slowly then his eyes started widening. Suddenly he shot into the back of the chair, almost tipping over completely. “You just- what?!” “Well you said you could use a win,” you shrugged, “we could go somewhere fun.” He slowly returned to his previous position, though now he was sitting up straight, his expression dropping. “You don’t have to do that just because I’m upset,” he pouted and you chuckled. “I know, I want to though, come on it’ll be fun~” your teasing tone made him crack a smile and eventually he nodded, “alright alright, I’ll go” you smiled too as you noticed the small red tint in his cheeks.

———

You’re killing him, like Miles can’t right now with how you’re looking at him. His nerves are shot as he tries to ignore the cute little flirty smile you’re giving him as he tells you a story about him and his mom. He stutters slightly before deciding to just avoid your eye entirely. “But yeah then my dad had to come and get us cause there was no way to get home,” he finished the story and you laughed. There was a lull in the conversation as Miles turned to look at you again. “Why are you staring at me like that?” He asked, deciding to be bold. “I’m wondering if I should ask you out right now or later,” you said, your smirk growing as his eyes widened. He sheepishly smiled, “w-well didn’t you just kinda- ask?” You hummed as you thought it over before shrugging. “I guess, do you want to?” “Yes!” He said immediately before recoiling in embarrassment at his quickness. He cleared his throat, “uh- I mean, sure,” he shrugged cooly and you chuckled at his behavior.

———

Directory

[tinkerbelle05]

How would Battinson react to his kids, his babies, dating, and growing up?

The first was Dick. He saw the growing embers of something more than friendship between him and Wally. The longing stares when one thought no one was looking, the longer than necessary touching, the blushes. It seemed like everyone could see but those two, and it was cute.

It stopped being cute when Dick entered his office one afternoon. Bruce hadn’t known what personal space was since Dick got comfortable with him. Dick would frequently invade it by jumping on Bruce’s back for an impromptu piggyback ride, though those were things of the past the older and bigger Dick got, or just giving him a bear hug.

But this was different. The way he actually walked rather than ran, the way his demeanor was more closed off and hesitant rather than open and relaxed like it usually was.

He walked to meet Dick halfway, abandoning his work. He gently held his shoulders.

“What’s wrong, Chum?”

Dick took a deep breath, in and out. “I have a boyfriend! It's Wally.” He blurted out and looked at Bruce.

Bruce saw fleeting hope of acceptance, of love in Dick’s eyes. But he also saw uncertainty of rejection in them too.

“That’s great, chum. Who confessed first?” Bruce was happy for Dick, he deserved happiness, especially in their line of work. But a small part of him felt bitter about it.

Not Wally himself, he knew the kid for years and he was a good one. But of what he represented, his birds were growing up and leaving the nest. Leaving him. Now, Bruce was happy to see his children growing into themselves. However, he feels like he isn’t needed anymore.

Why would they need a protector, who isn’t even that good at it anyway, when they showed again and again that they can provide for themselves?

The announcement reminded him of Jaime and Jason, he liked him and Damian certainly did, but his kids’ were leaving. Like, today Jason and Damian canceled dinner to be with Jamie and his family for dinner.

But this wasn’t about how Bruce feels. So even if it was bittersweet he listened to Dick rave about Wally.

Giving Bruce so much detail, he wasn't sure if this even was the same person, but he guessed being childhood best friends are different from being boyfriend.

“Alfred, have you seen Tim? He is not in the Cave or his room.” They were working on a hard and gruesome case, and just when Tim was healing from that nasty cut he got last night. Bruce knows how Tim gets when they have cases like these. He would work from day to night until he gets an answer, and that is if he doesn't fall asleep first. Even if he was recovering, and that missing spleen of his didn’t make things better.

It was one of the many things he neglected to teach Tim when he was first Robin, to have a good work-life balance, not that Bruce could talk but still, too filled with grief to see. But he is making a change, and that is starting with getting Tim to bed.

“No, I haven't, Master Bruce,” the butler answers, “but I’ll be on the lookout for him.”

Bruce gave a nod and continued to search the Manor looking for his son. He’d done this before, hiding from Bruce, because he knew what will happen. It’s childish and oftentimes annoying but a tiny part likes taking care of Tim. Tucking him into bed, kissing him on the forehead, and closing the door slowly.

Eventually, he does find Tim, he’s in Bruce’s room. His black hair, which was in that middle stage of looking long while short, looked like a bird’s nest and his eyes were dazed like he had taken a nap. His disheveled sheets and blankets were evidence of that.

“Good afternoon, Timmy.” Bruce greets him with a small smile.

Tim blinked at him like an owl and he came to his senses slowly. He looked like a misbehaving child who got caught red-handed with contraband cookies.

“Shit!”

“Language” Bruce corrected automatically. Raising kids for years will do that to you, especially Jason and Duke.

“Sh– shot! Sorry B I'll go.”

Bruce leaped forward to stop Tim’s frantic movements. “Tim, you don't have to leave or anything. I'm fine with you staying in my bed. I was just looking for you all over to take a break. But I see you’re already doing that..”

Red paints over Tim’s ears and neck and attempts to look away from them. “Well duh, I'm not a kid anymore B.”

His last all-nighter was 2 days ago. Duke found him in the dining chair.

Tim looks him straight in the eyes, “I heard you talking to Alfred. I was worrying you with my bad self-care habits and I decided to grow up. Besides, I can't live how I used to, especially without my spleen.”

Now it was Bruce’s turn to look surprised. He thought he would never see the day. But why are tears threatening to spill out then? Why was there a hole forming in his heart then? He should be happy, his children are growing into fine young men and women. So why....?

“Woah, woah, Bruce!” Tim’s alert voice yelled for him, breaking Bruce from his thoughts to see that tears were actually forming.

“Oh, don't mind me,” he shrugged Tim off and blinked the tears away. “I have some work that needs to get done, so you go rest up.” Bruce pushed Tim into the bed and tucked him into the covers, kissing him on the forehead, and closing the door slowly. A routine he’s done multiple times with multiple children, and his mind wonders when they’ll ask him to stop doing that.

He ignored Tim’s shouts to come back and closed the door. He walks aimlessly through the quiet and empty manor. It’s been ages since the building was filled with sound and laughter, now it sits in silence. So quiet Bruce can hear his footsteps echoing throughout the halls when 2 months ago he couldn’t even hear what Duke was saying while Tim and Damien engaged in their weekly arguments about everything and anything.

Oh, Duke. Gotham’s daytime vigilante, one of her many victims. He came to Bruce unsure in everything he was doing but nowadays he’s grown sure in his actions. On the last patrol, Tim had gotten hurt badly and the only way out was for Duke to drive. He didn't need Bruce or Babara to guide him.

His kids were growing up, and soon, they wouldn't need him anymore.

[kieran-granola]

I promised @krizariel that I would transcribe this one next, so here we go for older JayTim schmoop.

Bruce's funeral takes place on a sunny June day. It's early, too early, but living life the way he did and getting exposed to so many harmful substances and radiation has consequences. Everyone in the Batfamily shows up, no matter how strained their relationship with the Wayne name. Some of them come accompanied by their partner and/or children, and some alone.

Tim is on the cusp of forty, settled in his career, and happy with where he is. He doesn't wear capes anymore, instead he helps train younger heroes. He loves knowing that he's doing what he can to protect them and to help them stay alive to help others.

Jason will blow his forty-second candles in a few months. He still runs a criminal empire, but he's gone to university and gotten a degree. He now has a network of charities that are absolutely fronts, but he runs them in legitimate, ethical ways that enact good in the community. He also has two daughters, one in middle school and the other starting high school, and he has kept a good relationship with his now ex-wife with whom he shares custody.

Tim and Jason haven't exactly worked together or kept contact in over a decade. For all intents and purposes, they're now strangers. They have, however, both had the opportunity to work through their issues. Tim, because it was that or dying, Jason because he wanted to do the work for his daughters.

On the day of Bruce's funeral, they sit together and catch breakfast. They're the first ones awake in the Manor after they all spent the night sitting shiva, and their old enmity feels so far away. They actually get up and reintroduce themselves to each other with strong handshakes all around.

They spend the rest of the morning quietly chatting until the rest of the house awakens. Then the day truly starts, and Tim gets to see how soft Jason has turned out to be because… Well. His daughters are here and, as fraught as Jason and Bruce's relationship was, Bruce definitely showed up to be as good a grandpa as he could be for the girls. His passing devastated them, and Jason is doing everything he can to manage his own grief while being as much of a pillar of support for them as he can be.

It's intriguing and bittersweet for Tim because it makes him realize everything he missed when he decided to keep his distance from the family outside of cape work.

Anyway, eventually the girls need a break, and so Jason offers to drive them to their favorite bookshop for a spot of shopping and ice cream. On an impulse, Tim asks if he can tag along, and Jason agrees.

The "new" face helps get the girls' minds off their grief more than the bookshop does. Jason is incredibly relieved when Tim plays into it and lets them ask their questions. Still, everyone definitely has misty eyes when Jason's youngest picks a new edition of her favorite childhood book, because Bruce used to read it to her all the time, and she wants to read it with him one last time.

Having these interactions opens things up between Tim and Jason. When the girls join their other cousins back at the Manor, the two of them abscond to the patio and share their memories of their own fathers. The conversation goes from there to happier memories—childhood foods, shenanigans, broken vases and finger painting—and they find themselves smiling despite their shared grief.

They enjoy each other's company so much that they share phone numbers and make a promise to just... Catch up again. In happier circumstances.

As the weeks go by, their texting history lengthens. They chat every time they have a minute, and it takes a while but they eventually find a shared free spot in their schedules to grab a beer together. It's not a date—not in any of their minds at least, not yet—but they both sense the potential there when they're looking each other in the eye, feeling light and happy.

Eventually, after many months of meetings, they end one of their evenings with a spur-of-the-moment kiss, and they finally put words on the dating they've been doing.

They keep seeing each other for a while after that, now as romantic partners, and they do try out the bedroom when the girls are at their mum's place.

Then, Jason asks Tim if he'd be willing to have dinner with him and his daughters.

(He kept things on the down low at first, and he didn't really advertise his recurring meetings/dates with Tim, but the girls could see the way he smiled at his phone sometimes... and how he actually went shopping for more than his usual boring suits. They're not surprised when he tells them he's seeing someone.)

The girls absolutely hoot when Tim shows up with flowers for them, and wine for Jason and him. They then proceed to grill him over dinner while roasting the absolute hell out of Jason. Jason retaliates with the worst dad jokes and the threat of baby pictures.

Tim has an absolute blast, and that's when he realizes that Oh, it's more than just casual dating. He's falling in love with Jason. And obviously Jason is serious about this too, or he never would have introduced him to his daughters as more than a distant uncle.

The evening keeps going despite Tim's momentous realization. Jason and him start reminiscing about their younger days and the girls give each other a commiserating look of "ugh" at the dinosaurs and abscond to their bedrooms. Tim and Jason end up curled up together on the couch for one last coffee, then Tim heads back home, feeling warm down to his bones.

After that first dinner, the girls keep asking Jason if Tim will be there whenever their dad offers to take them somewhere. They insist on inviting him if Jason doesn't, because he obviously makes their dad happy, and eventually it becomes natural to include Tim in the family activities from the get-go.

The girls know they've won and gotten their dad to stop pussyfooting around his feelings when Jason shows up to his eldest's hockey match hand-in-hand with Tim and introduces him to their mom.

(She's very amused and tells him she's heard so much about him from the girls she already feels like they're friends.)

But… Jason isn't the only one with kids who care about him. Tim, as The Only Cool and Reliable Adult in most of his superhero protégés' lives, ends up being a surrogate father to quite a few of them. It's not rare for him to get random visits from young vigilantes in need of advice/a hug/someone to tell them they're proud of them and doing good.

Jason: "This isn't fair."

Tim: "What."

Jason: "My girls barely threatened you, meanwhile Wonder Girl 13 dangled me off a building because she thought I'd brainwashed you."

Tim: "Don't tell me you're scared of my students."

Jason: "Well, I can't exactly SHOOT them, can I?"

Tim: "I'd be very cross with you if you did."

Jason: "No shit. At least that explains why you were so good with the girls."

Tim: "Hmm?"

Jason: "You're a father of twelve, Tim."

Tim: "... I guess, I am. Though.... More like fourteen now, I hope?"

Jason: "You'll have to sort it out with the girls, but considering they keep sending me links to jewellers, I think it's safe to assume so."

Tim: "Nic— Wait. What?? They want us to get married?!"

Jason: "No, they think you need a new watch. Of course, they want us to get married."

Tim: "...I've never been married."

Jason: "I have."

Tim: "...Would you be opposed to doing it again?"

Jason, putting down his reading to look into Tim's eyes: "Why, are you interested?"

Tim: "...Maybe."

Jason: "..."

Tim: "..."

Jason: "..."

Tim: "...Nevermind this was s—"

Jason, interrupting him: "What's your band size?"

[fragcc]

I need Kon to go through a crisis thinking he’s homophobic because why else would he want to throw up at the sight of Tim and his boyfriend kissing. It goes on so for long until Martha Kent has to sit Kon down and talk it out with him. Then Kon goes through a brand new crisis of being in love with his best friend who has a boyfriend

OMG ANON YES YES YESSSS!!! I want kon to be SO jealous that everyone (including himself) thinks he's homophobic just for him to find out that he's just timberphobic, actually. Okay, hold on, hear me out:

Everyone gradually growing annoyed and offended by Kon's poorly hidden disgust/annoyance whenever he sees Tim with Bernard to the point they take him to a corner and straight up accuse him of being an homophobe and he just p a n i c s

And we all know Kon has only like, two braincells, so he'll be so desperate because it really looks like he's an homophobe deep down but he doesn't want to be because he never would wish harm to Tim or be disgusted by him but whenever he thinks about Tim kissing his boyfriend he feels sick and so damn frustrated

Anyways, Ma Kent will eventually sit down with him to try and understand why he's so repulsed by the idea of homosexuality and he'll also try his best in the conversation because he also wants to know if he can just grow out of it. So Martha will slowly coax the nature of his feelings out of him, asking him if he would be bothered if Tim married Bernard, to which he replies with a hard "no." but his face is clearly contorted in a repulsed scowl by the idea

It all starts making sense when Ma makes a different approach to the subject, asking instead how Kon would feel if Tim was interested in him. What if Tim wanted to share a milkshake with him? What if he wanted to cuddle for movies with him? What if he was in love with Kon-El? Would that also be a problem for him? And then Kon is staring at her with wide eyes and a gaping mouth, heart thundering and cheeks flushing as he replays over and over again the images of Tim and Bernard cuddling and being cute with each other, but replacing Bernard with himself. And suddenly–

Suddenly he finds everything so much more bearable and enjoyable. It's like the whole cosmos aligns itself when he thinks about Tim kissing him instead of Bernard, about him being the one who gets to wrap his arms around Tim's middle and lay kisses on his neck to hear him squeak so adorably. He feels euphoric with the thought, like his heart is about to explode at this new discovery. He looks back at Ma with wilde eyes, like a deer caught in headlights, only to find her looking at him with a small, proud smile full of understanding.

"I think– I–" He gulps down the throat that forms on his throat, feeling his fingers shake with the sudden rush of adrenaline. He looks down at his boots, thinking one last time about the prospect of Tim smiling lovingly at him before he breathes out the rest of his confession. "I think I would be okay with that."

The silence that follows his whispered confession is a welcoming one and he can feel Ma's approving eyes on his skin. And it all feels a little bit crazy, because Kon just realized he isn't really an homophobe. No, he just happens to hate the guy Tim is dating because he wished it was him instead and–

Oh no.

"Shit." He curses, face paling once again. Ma frowns at him, reaching out to touch his hand in reassurance but it does nothing to placate Kon's crumbling heart. "Shit, Ma."

"What is it, Kon?" She asks ever so caringly.

"I might be in love with him, Ma" Kon whispers to her, so ashamed of saying the words out loud. It hurts the elder woman to spot clear tears slowly filling those usually bright, blue eyes. "I might be in love with my best friend who's already taken. I think I ruined everything."

And before his thoughts spiral out of control, Martha has already wrapped him in a warm and placaring embrace, murmuring to him that it's okay. But Kon knows it isn't. Things will never be okay if he can't get his shit together and start feeling happy for Tim's happiness.

Oh boy. You really can't have everything, huh?

[butcherlarry]

Weekly Fic Rec 47

I'M BACK! I hope everyone had a Happy Holiday and a lovely New Year :) I think this might be my longest fic rec list yet! Enjoy everyone!

5 Times Tim Spends the Night at Wayne Manon + 1 Time He Comes Home by motleyfam - Batfam, complete. Part of the Settle Our Bones series. Tim joins the batfam early. I'm pretty sure I've read this fic before, but I really enjoyed it. It was nice to read while I was on break.

Rail-Splitter, Brain-Splitter by motleyfam - Batfam, complete. Part of the same series as above. Dick, Jason, and Tim go on an outing together and Dick gets a killer migraine. Hurt/Comfort ensues.

locked in, locked out by scarletazure - Superbat, complete. Bruce gets stuck in a dating simulator. Shenanigans ensue.

Reborn as a scum villain in a novel by Speechless_since_1998 - Superbat, wip. Bruce dies and is transmigrated into the scum villain character in a novel. Shenanigans ensue.

Steady hands (ragged breathing) by loosingletters - Batfam, wip. Instead of growing up as rich heir to the Wayne family, he grows up as Bruce Kane, bastard child of Thomas Wayne, in the Narrows. Don't worry, he still becomes Batman :)

My Thanks to Ms. Monroe by loosingletters - Batfam, complete. Domestic abuse. Janet and Tim leave Jack. They go to Bruce for help.

everybody talks, everybody talks by fantalaimon - Superbat & Batfam, complete. Clark and Dick start a Bruce support group with other batfam and loved ones. Bruce finds out, feels ensue.

I saw dad kiss Santa Claus by Speechless_since_1998 - Superbat & Batfam, complete. Clark dresses up as Santa and kisses Bruce. The kids catch them in the act.

A kindred bond by Nyszu - Superbat, wip. Bruce gets kidnapped by an evil Superman, but is rescued by his Superman. I might have done a happy dance when I saw this fic update again :D :D :D

anything in your life more wonderful by januariat - Timkon, complete. A lovely, smutty Timkon fic :)))))

slow dancing in the dark by scarletazure - Superbat, complete. Omg, I loved this fic SO MUCH. I remember one of the updates happened when I was driving 10+ hours to my parents for the holidays. It was a nice little treat to read at the end of the day to decompress :) Anyway, Bruce and Clark get temporary amnesia, sleep together, get there memories back, but continue to sleep together as a "Friends with Benefits" thing. These fails when they both catch feelings for each other. Shenanigans ensue.

Sure on this shining night by mediant - Superfam, complete. Kara tries to recreate a Kryptonian dish for one of their holidays. It fails, but she gets some help from Martha, as well as some bonding time with Clark and Kon.

flash in the pan by shipyrds - Superbat, complete. Another fic where the whole "Friends with Benefits" thing fails miserably. Clark and Bruce get caught in there civilian personas making out at a gala. They try to do some damage control by fake dating and then an eventual break-up. Feelings ensue.

everybody says shipyrds - Superbat, complete. Bruce gets kidnapped by some aliens that say he's Superman's soulmate, and they want to use him as leverage to get Superman's help. The whole soulmate thing is news to Bruce. Shenanigans ensue.

Place we were made by loosingletters - Batfam, complete. An interesting take on Omegaverse! Omegas can claim territory, so Bruce (an omega) as Batman claims all of Gotham as his territory. Shenanigans ensue.

a diamond sky by TheResurrectionist - Pennywaynes, complete. Pennywaynes my B E L O V E D. From a room full of coral series. A look at Alfred, Thomas, and Martha's relationship in an omegaverse setting.

'Cause Heaven Only Knows by loosingletters, papered_king - Batfam, complete. NECROMANCER JASON NECROMANCER JASON NECROMANCER JASON NECROMANCER JA-

glitter & silk by sparkycap - Batfam, complete. A newly adopted Jason meets some of Bruce's friends after a night out as "Brucie". A neat fic about Bruce being bisexual, hanging out with some lady friends (painting his nails! love!!), and comforting Jason.

So Sweet Saluteth Me by Lishalalalalala - Batfam, complete. A sleep deprived Jason hangs out with Dick and they go to a farmers market. The sleep deprivation is why Jason agrees with Dick to take lunch to Bruce. Yeah, sure :)

bitty batty baby vigilante crew by deargalileo - Batfam, complete. BABY TIM AND STEPH AS VIGILANTES!!!! This causes some minor (major) stress for Batman.

Half in Love by timeturners - Superbat, wip. Another identity porn fic! I'll always read them, you can't stop me!!!

incendiary by pomeloquat - Superbat, complete. Fem Bruce tries to hide her feelings about Clark. This fails. Sexy shenanigans ensue.

Darkest Little Paradise by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, complete. It's New Years Eve! Bruce is lonely at a gala and Clark is alone in Metropolis, so they both need someone to kiss to bring in the New Years. Kissing happens, as well as other, lovely smutty things :)))))))))))))

i told you something safe by quidhitch - Superbat, complete. Batman and Superman get injured and pinned down in an explosion with Kryptonite. Clark almost dies. He deals with the realization that he almost dies and the emotions that come with it. Bruce helps.

hold on loosely by TheResurrectionist - Batfam, wip. A 5+1 fic! Five times the batkids get sick and benched and the one time it happens to Bruce.

10 times they slept together, and one time SLEPT TOGETHER by JarJarBlink182 - Superbat, complete. A 10+1 fic! I think the title speaks for itself :)

ship-to-ship combat by pomeloquat - Superbat, complete. THIS FIC!!!!!!!! IT'S FINALLY COMPLETE!!!!!!!!!! If you haven't read it yet, PLEASE give it a read!! An identity porn fic where Clark becomes a fic writer to pay some bills. He writes for the ship Bruceman (Batman/Bruce). Bruce becomes a fan artist for the ship too. SO MUCH SHENANIGANS ENSUE.

The Brothers Wayne by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. Bruce Wayne and Wade Wilson (Deadpool) are brothers. NEED I SAY MORE????

Toes in the Sand by minnow_doodle_doo - Batfam, complete. Ngl, I was sobbing at the end of this fic, it was sooo gooood! A peak into the future, where Jason has kids and Bruce is a grandpa :)

Just A Little Bit... by HaleHathNoFury (My_Trex_has_fleas) - Superbat, wip. What if Clark was a little more alien and Bruce (as well as Gotham) was a little more eldritch? The latest chapters have been A TREAT to read!!!

Patchwork Pod by KtKat9 - Superbat, wip. Mer Bruce fic! Connor is getting to know Clark and Mer Tim a bit more. Adorable sheep are involved :)

(Love) Triangles Have Multiple Centers by frozenpotions - Superbat, wip. The latest chapter of this identity porn fic almost had me on the floor laughing, omg. Robin stole the whole chapter for me, he was so ADORABLE and SASSY!

Emergency Contract by Elegitre - Batfam, complete. Tim lists Bruce, his next door neighbor, as his emergency contact, not expecting him to ever be contacted. GUESS WHAT HAPPENS???? :)))))))

a sky of honey by TheResurrectionist - Superbat, wip. More of the omegaverse Superbat fic that I have been OBSESSED about. Jason finally meets Superman. Unfortunately, he was not aware yet that Clark is Superman.

Happy reading!

[victimsofyaoipoll]

Round 2

Propaganda Under Cut

Iris West

Treated terribly by fandom because of racism and misogyny

Iris is one of the oldest Flash characters (well, oldest by measure of the Silver Age Flash) and despite the show's problems she was adapted pretty well. Her being pushed aside 100% has to do with her being Black in the adaptation. The most popular ship on Ao3 for that show is her white husband x a white passing supervillain clearly intended to be read as actually white who has been in LITERALLY ~SIX EPISODES. He DIED IN 2016. THEY ARE STILL DOING THIS

Gets mom friended like you wouldn't BELIEVE. People hate her because she was childhood best friends with The Flash and has chemistry with him :( like it's her fault she's sweet and smart and not the male blue coded villain to the red hero. I am so tired

Stephanie Brown

Literally my best friend ever!!! Every time she shows up in a comic I point at her and smile!!! She’s the vigilante known as spoiler & batgirl & was a robin before getting fridged because of editorial mandate and misogyny she deserves so much better @_@. The m/m that some people hate her for is timkon; like they ARE very gay but people are genuinely insane about hating her instead of also realizing that she too is gay (insane amount of subtext w her bff cass). Basically she was Tim’s girlfriend for a long time on and off. People will literally call her abusive for no reason they’ll be like oh but she didn’t apologize for starting a gang war accidentally and faced no consequences for it :/ as if she wasn’t literally KILLED OFF BRUTALLY. And although hate is rarer for her nowadays from what I’ve seen she’s also a victim of Background Lesbian Syndrome. And also a victim of Woman Not Allowed To Have Ocmplex Feelings in the source material itself (tim is canonically bi now yay but like steph wasn’t allowed to have any complicated feelings at all at her on again off again ex breaking up with her for good???). Anyways she’s the light of my life.

she’s the light of my life my baby girl my everything. she canonically dated tim drake, but people love to ship tim with his male friend kon or his male brothers (🤢🤮) and so they constantly sideline her, making her the quirky wingwoman or sometimes even villainizing her by trying to claim she was abusive to tim. i don’t know why so many people hate her my girl will literally just be standing there and people will hate on her.

Stephanie was first introduced in the 1994 Robin series as a side love interest for Robin, but when she turned out to be really popular she became the main love interest. Because of this, she was fully fleshed out as a vigilante calling herself Spoiler to try and take down her villainous father, the Cluemaster. She later grew a lot closer to other cast members, such as Batgirl and Oracle, to get herself a firmly established place among the bats. Then, she dies in a gang war after taking up the Robin mantle. Eventually, in 2009, she was brought back from the dead and took on the Batgirl mantle. Her and Robin get back together sometime around ~2010 and they are solidly together until 2021. Then, Robin breaks up with her off panel for zero reason in canon, only to date some really boring guy named Bernard. By fanon, she's often demonized and turned into an abuser to make either this ship, or a lot of other mlm ships happen. Either that or things are mysteriously set in the time she's dead despite characters who were not yet introduced until she returned appearing. strange.

[justchillandshipit]

A Little Buddie Hope in all that Trama?

Last week, I had a mopey post about my worries that the show would erase Buddie from previous seasons in order to make the new storylines work with what the actors and producers are saying about the characters. i.e. Eddie is heterosexual. I'm still not sure we will get canon, but I'm hopeful because one, I found a flaw in my reasoning for that post. And two, I remembered Athena's relationship with her first husband, Michael.

In season one, Michael came out as a gay man. Not bi. He was married to Athena with two kids. He loved her. He never stopped saying that he loved her. But he wasn't "IN" love with her. At one time, he said he hoped Athena would fix him. When he learned that she had been attacked in season three, he ran to be with her when he got the call. He was in mid-conversation with the man he eventually married, and he didn't even stop to tell him why he was leaving.

If we look at Eddie, he may or may not be as self-aware as Michael. I'm hoping he is because the show has given us clues in previous seasons that would fit with this interpretation of Eddie. Within the first few episodes that Eddie is in, he talks about how he isn't dating, how the girls they met on a call weren't his type, etc. Later, Buck finds help for Christopher through Carla. He tricks Eddie into coming to his place by saying he needs help to move Maddie. When Eddie learns it was a lie, his expression is a little annoyed at first and then filters to dread. He asks Buck if he is trying to set him up. Buck doesn't quite answer, he goes to answer the door and it's Carla. The expressions that go across Eddie's face, to me, were telling. Relief, surprise, and a new look just for Buck. [I feel this is the moment he fell in love or began to fall in love with Buck.-- There is also a whole other side to those first episodes after Buck starts to accept Eddie. In those episodes, he tries to please Eddie, and he stutters when he talks. He is shy and flirty, but that's a whole different thing.]

Anyway, back to Eddie. When he was with Ana, he almost mirrored Michael by admitting that he thought things would work with them, the "idea" of them. Chris loved her so much, that Eddie thought he would too. In another episode, he talks about feeling as though he were performing. Hen gives him a look that matches the one she gave Tommy & Buck in season 7 when Buck had soot on his face. The scene moves quickly so you can easily miss it, but it's there. There are more moments than I've named here that speak to Eddie's feelings, and these are the moments I felt would have to be erased if we believed Ryan Guzman about Eddie's heterosexuality. In my previous post, I was mopey about that until I realized a flaw in my thinking.

Tim has known his plans for Buck for a while. He actually wasn't sure if it was going to be Eddie instead. (most of us know that already) Either way, he knew as the episodes were being written for season 7 what would happen for Buck and that people would be paying close attention to Eddie. Within those first episodes, Eddie talks to Bobby and admits that he married Shannon because she got pregnant and they both felt pressured into it, but he never regretted it. Even when things got bad, he loved being married to her. (again the "idea" of it, just like what he said to Ana. Also, he said, that he loved being married- he didn't say he loved Shannon.) [I need help here. Someone to meta it for me-I have a big disconnect from the way Ryan nailed that scene with Kim in the most recent episode. To bring that much emotion and tears to this scene doesn't match with what he said to Bobby earlier in the season.]

Also in this season, we have Eddie referring to his Catholic past. The church, as most of us know has a long-established history of homophobia. Eddie talks about how deeply his family was into Latin-based Catholicism. While there is no direct mention of homophobia, there doesn't have to be. He talks about reaching a certain age and saying it wasn't for him. I think an awareness of his sexuality could have prevented him from fully buying into religion. However, rejecting religion doesn't mean those toxic messages weren't still there. Those messages were alongside the pressures he received from his father as young as 10 to be a man.

** Edit ** There is a space here for Eddie's reaction to Buck coming out. Based on this interpretation, it still makes sense for him to accept Buck. This is who Eddie is. He can accept Buck for everything he is without question. Despite the hold that the church and toxic masculinity have on him, Eddie doesn't hold anyone to that same standard. He rejected it when he rejected religion, but he is holding himself to that standard, and I believe this is the main part of the story that the show has not revealed to us yet. Eddie is not homophobic. Why can't he accept himself if he can accept others? (assuming this interpretation is the correct one.) Is Eddie so desperate to have his father's love? Is it that deep well of Catholic guilt he talked about? [Will Eddie, at some point, end up in a confessional, giving us all the canon we long for? I'd personally, love to see him alone by Bobby's bedside, holding that prayer book, and confessing to him the truth. That would slap. lol]

I had forgotten that these scenes were in season 7 when Tim knew full well what was coming with Buck. This doesn't mean that he will definitely write Eddie into a coming-out story, but it does mean that he is not likely to erase the stories that made me ship Buddie in the first place. If he were planning to erase those stories, he would not still be adding little pieces to that story.

TL;DR - My logic was flawed in my last post. Buddie isn't canon, and I do vacillate back and forth about this subject but hope is not completely gone for a Buddie endgame.

** edited to add ^ ^ ^

[hurt-care]

The Wedding Date

I've had this idea for a fic for a few weeks and I just had to write it! It's been AGES since I've written and I got this one out pretty quickly, but I hope it's fun to read.

OCs, M/F relationship M, allergies Scenario - old college friends reconnect at a wedding. One of them is suffering from some spectacular hayfever. The other has a thing for sneezing....

-----

Pulling at the waist of her dress, Katie fidgeted as she looked around the gathering crowd. It was a warm spring day in Austin; not too hot but still brilliantly sunny. It was her first time visiting Texas and while she knew that she would eventually run in to some people she knew at this wedding, for now the people nearby were all strangers. She was in town to celebrate the wedding of her college friends, Ashleigh and Tim. They'd all met in Chicago but had since all moved away. Katie had continued on to Utah for a graduate degree and had since settled in Colorado. Ashleigh and Tim had moved to Austin where Tim had grown up. Katie was one of a handful of people who had flown in from out of town for the event while most of the guests were local friends and family of the couple.

Suddenly, Katie saw a familiar face across the lawn. They were all gathered on the grounds of a local museum in the midst of a beautiful five-acre property with sprawling gardens and trees. There, standing alone at one of the scattered cocktail tables, was Ben.

The last time she'd seen him was their graduation ceremony over six years ago. He'd lost some of the boyish roundness to his face and was sporting an unfamiliar scruffy beard, but he otherwise looked just the same as she remembered. Her heart skipped a beat as he looked up and met her eyes. She'd had an impossibly huge crush on him for all four years of school but she'd never had her chance to act upon it. He'd arrived at college already attached to a girlfriend from high school and they'd been together on and off all four years that Katie had known him. 

He started to cross the lawn towards her. He was wearing a navy linen suit with a green tie and as he got closer, she could see that he looked...upset? His eyes were red and puffy. Suddenly, he paused his stride and turned his head away, tucking his face into the crook of his arm.

Katie froze as she watched him jerk with a sneeze. Oh god.

She's had a weird kink as long as she can remember. She always found sneezing to be strangely endearing and now her college crush was walking towards her and he was clearly suffering from allergies.

He recovered from the sneeze and approached her.

“Hey Katie!” he said. “Didn't know I'd see you here!”

His voice was subtly congested and he sniffled audibly at the end of the statement. She tried not to stare too intensely at him but it was hard not to notice his swollen eyes and nose.

“Hi Ben!” she replied, trying to keep her voice steady as they embraced in a swift hug. “So good to see you! How're things?”

He was smiling at her but his expression was faltering and his eyebrows furrowed while his mouth hung open and he panted with a few shallow breaths.

“Sorry,” he said haltingly. “I have to---teh...ehTSGHH!!”

He turned away again, catching the sneeze with steepled hands.

“Ugh, sorry,” he reiterated. “Allergies. It's my first time in Texas and I didn't really realize how bad it would be here.”

“Ah,” she said, feeling her cheeks burn and she hoped she wasn't visibly blushing as bright red as it felt like she was. “I hear they're awful here. Cedar or something.”

He nods, fishing in his pocket and retrieving a bit of a well-used tissue. “I should've taken something stronger than my regular stuff but I guess it's too late now. Anyway, how're you? You look great! Whereabout are you living these days?”

She feels herself blush more. “Thanks! Um...I'm in Denver, actually. Finished grad school last spring and moved there in the fall. So it's been about six months. I like it, but I miss Chicago. Are you still there?”

“Yeah, I'm still at the bank. It's good. I saw Tim and Ashleigh in the fall actually. They came up to visit, which was nice. Tim was in town for work so they made a week of it.”

He pressed the tattered tissue to his nose as he spoke. Katie bit her lip, watching him with a mix of awe and embarrassment. His bright blue eyes, the feature that had first attracted her to him, were still beautiful and stood out thanks to his navy suit. But they were bloodshot and puffy today, clearly irritated and itchy.

“Maybe we should find our seats for the ceremony?” she suggested, glancing towards the rows of folding chairs where much of the crowd was gathering now. “See if we can find anyone else from school? I heard Mark was coming. And I think Amy too.”

“Sure! Yeah, I talked to Mark and he can't make the ceremony but he'll be coming to the reception after dinner. I'm not sure about Amy.”

They made their way over to the chairs and picked out seats. Beside her, Ben sniffled thickly and rubbed at his nose. She took out her phone, subtly checking her appearance in the camera to ensure she wasn't beet-red. Witnessing him in the midst of the allergy attack was doing her heart-rate no favours. He groaned quietly and put a palm to his eye, wiping away some tears as they watered. 

When the ceremony music began, she gave mental thanks for the distraction from the spectacle at her side. The bridal party processed down the aisle and the crowd rose to stand for the bride. Ashleigh looked radiant as she walked towards the front of the ceremony space and stood opposite Tim. The officiant welcomed the crowd and invited them to be seated.

At her side, Ben turned and stifled two sneezes into his arm. Eh-GHXT! Tsh-GXHT!

He sniffled wetly and pressed his knuckles to his red, swollen nose. Out of the corner of her eye, Katie could see a damp spot around his nostrils. Digging in her purse, she retrieved a small folded tissue and held it out to him. 

“Oh god, thank you,” he whispered.

“I brought it in case the vows made me tear up but I think you need it more,” she whispered back. 

He pressed the folded tissue to his nostrils and almost instantly sneezed again, barely managing to stifle the sound.

Ehh-TSGHXXT!

Katie crossed her legs, feeling herself flooding with arousal and hoping that the ceremony would be short. Thankfully, it was. As the bride and groom were announced, the crowd rose to their feet and cheered the new couple.

“They look great,” Ben said as the bride and groom walked by. He turned and smiled at Katie.

“They do,” she agreed. His smile at her gave her a sudden jolt of confidence.

“Hey, she asked. “Are you still dating Amelia? Why isn't she here?”

“Oh,” Ben said, sounding a little surprised. “Oh, no, we broke up ages ago. When we were still in school actually. Close to the end of our last year.”

“Oh,” Katie replied, feeling herself growing bolder. “Are you seeing anyone else now?”

“No,” Ben said. “I've been single for a bit. Work is busy and all that. I'll get back out there eventually. What about you?”

“Err..no one at the moment,” she replied.

“Well then I hope you'll agree to be my dance partner tonight,” he said. “If I can stop sneezing long enough to dance.”

She was sure now that she was visibly blushing.

“I'd like that, yeah,” she stammered. “And it's fine. We know it's not contagious. Anyway, let's go find the cocktail bar. I need a drink.”

“Agreed,” he said. “My throat is so dry. Hopefully a few glasses of wine knocks the hay-fever out of me. Shall we?”

He extended his bent arm to her. She was surprised by the gesture but took his arm and smiled.

“Lead the way!”

They walked across the sunny lawn towards the bar. There was already a small line formed and as they took their place at the end, Katie could hear Ben's breath catch.

She tried not to turn and stare, but she couldn't help it. He steepled his hands over his nose and bent at the waist, sneezing forcefully.

Hehh-TSCHOOO!

He sniffled with a wet sound and didn't remove his hands from his face. She heard his breath gasp and he pitched forward with a small fit of rapid sneezes.

Nghh-TSGHT! Ehh-TSCHHT! Hehhh....ehhh-TSCHIIHEHHH!

He kept one hand over his nose as he fumbled for the tissue she'd given him earlier. A tear from his irritated eyes fell down his cheek.

“Bless you,” she said softly, feeling as if she was saying something much more flirtatious. 

“Sorry,” he muttered, trying to clean himself up a little.

“Why don't you go find us a quiet spot to sit and I'll get the drinks?” she offered. 

“That would be great,” he said, his voice cracking hoarsely. “White wine please. I'll get a spot over by that gazebo.”

He gestured to a sheltered spot on the far side of the lawn and she nodded. “See you in a few.”

With Ben gone, she can let her guard down for a second and she exhales, fanning her face with her hand for a moment. The spring day suddenly feels much warmer. She gets two glasses of white wine and carries them towards the gazebo.

Ben is sitting on a bench looking miserable. His eyes are more swollen now and he is dabbing his nose with the rapidly-disintegrating tissue.

“Thanks,” he said as she handed him one of the glasses. He took a long sip. “Sorry I'm such a mess. It's really nice to see you, Katie.”

“It's fine,” she said. “Really.”

“You look great. That dress is perfect on you.”

She looked at him in wonder. Was he flirting with her?

“That suit is great on you too. Blue is your colour. I always thought you had the nicest blue eyes.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. I'm glad you're here. To be honest, I wasn't even sure I was going to come because I wasn't sure I'd know anyone besides Ashleigh and Tim. They're the only ones I've really kept in touch with besides Rachel but she just had a kid in March and couldn't come.”

She was momentarily distracted by the flaring of his nostrils and she stared as he built up to another sneeze. He gave a faint growl of frustration before he turned and sneezed into his arm.

Ehh-TSCHEHH!

“Goddammit...ahh, sorry,” he said with a sniffle. 

For a moment he stared at her and she stared back, unsure of what to say. In the distance, the DJ turned down the cocktail party music and announced that everyone should take their seats for dinner and the introduction of the bridal party.

“I guess we should find our seats,” Ben said. 

They were seated at the same table they discovered upon examining the seating chart. Also at the table were a few university friends and a few of Tim and Ashleigh's friends from Austin. The dinner conversation was casual and fun, but Katie found herself distracted by Ben's continued battle. He excused himself to the bathroom at one point halfway through dinner and he returned with a much redder nose, evidently having blown it multiple times. 

With dinner over, the DJ put on a popular song and encouraged the crowd towards the dance floor.

“I know I said I'd dance with you but I don't know how much longer I can stand this,” Ben said in Katie's ear. He gestured towards his face.

“Just a few songs and then I'll leave you to the mercy of an Uber to the drug store before it closes,” she said boldly. “You promised.”

They went towards the dance floor, joining the crowd. They started to dance and she moved her body closer to him, emboldened by the glasses of wine in her now. He was warm and his breath was hot against her skin as they embraced, swaying to the beat.

Someone came by with a tray of shots and they joined a group of cheerful bridesmaids, swallowing the tequila in one swift go before resuming their dancing.

“I can't believe I'm saying this but I had such a crush on you during school,” Katie says into Ben's ear. 

He looked at her and grinned.

“You did not!”

“I did!” she shouted back over the music. 

“Funny how things work out,” he said into her ear. 

The music shifted to a ballad and the crowd thinned a little as couples joined up to dance. Ben put his hands around Katie's hips and they embraced, moving to the music. 

“Would....is it okay with you if I kiss you?” he asked.

She didn't bother to respond, instead simply pressing her lips to his. Their noses touched and she could feel a bit of moisture from his. He pressed his lips back more firmly, getting lost in the moment. They broke the kiss and he turned his lips to her neck, kissing there. She ran her fingers through his hair, somewhat lost in disbelief that all her college fantasies were coming true tonight.

He froze in her arms suddenly, his lips leaving her neck. He didn't have time to react and she can feel him shudder as the sneeze bursts out of him unexpectedly.

Hehh-TSTZHHTT!

He managed to stifle it enough to avoid completely spraying her but she felt a small bit of moisture hit her skin.

“Oh my god I'm so sorry,” he gasped, pulling away and putting a hand over his nose. “I'm so sorry Katie. Fuck, this is so embarrassing.”

She burned hot from her own embarrassment and desire.

“Let's go somewhere else for a minute,” she suggested, taking his arm gently.

He let her drag him away and when they were out of sight of the other guests, he turned to her, looking humiliated.

“I'm so sorry...I didn't feel it coming and....”

She reached out and touched his cheek affectionately.

“It's okay,” she assured him. “I know it's not catching. I'm just sorry you're uncomfortable.”

He nods, staring down at his hands. 

“Damn it. I was really having a good time.”

His cheeks were flushed red now too.

Maybe it was the tequila or maybe it was the knowledge that tomorrow he'd go back to Chicago and she'd go back to Denver....but whatever it was, Katie found herself making a bold proposal.

“I have a suggestion,” she said. “It's....well, it's pretty forward but we've established that the crush is mutual, yeah?

He looked at her curiously. “Yeah.”

“I have a room at the hotel to myself. And I don't think the pollen count is going to improve tonight and you're just going to keep suffering if you stay here. So.....would you want to come back to my room?

His red, swollen eyes widened.

“I....well, yeah, sure....I'd like that. Can't be that attractive for you though, can I? There's a lot of snot happening, well...like all over here.”

He gestured to his face.

She remained silent for a moment, biting her lip. She'd never admitted her kink to a partner before. 

“I don't know if I can tell you this, Ben,” she said. “It's really....it's awkward. I don't know if I can say it out loud.”

“You can tell me. I promise I won't laugh.”

“It's...I have a thing. I guess you could say it's a kink. I...I don't mind sneezing.”

“You don't mind sneezing?”

“I guess I mean I like it.”

He stared at her a moment and then a grin split across his face.

“Oh!”

“Yeah...”

He laughed and shook his head. 

“I know I said I wouldn't laugh but I'm not laughing at you. I...jesus, Katie, I'd say you're in luck tonight!”

She grinned back at him.

[thegrimdog13]

I live that opposite au! It's very creative :) (I would actually love to see a part 2! Or a scenario/short story!)

Headcannons for opposite au pt.2

Thank you so much I try to be as creative as possible for you guys! I’ll do a part 2 on the headcannons for this one! But I’m thinking about eventually making maybe a mini side series on it or something. Also I’m definitely doing some art for it! But I might need some suggestions on who I should do first or a situation for the drawing. With that being said hope you enjoy ❤️.

————————————————————————

•Jane is very protective over Jeff. She will literally kill somebody who tries to hurt him.

•Liu doesn’t like Jane because of her behavior towards Jeff. He thinks that she is disgusting for not hating Jeff after what he has done.

•Jeff has a crush on Nina but Nina thinks he is super ugly. ( I thought this might be an interesting thing to throw in)

•Jeff thinks Nina is super pretty and smart but She hates him which makes him really sad.

•LJ ( which from now on I will refer to as CJ in this au) has a hard time talking to anyone without crying.

•Every time CJ starts to cry Jeff tries to comfort him ( so Jeff is just constantly going over to Crying Jack like it’s okay buddy)

•Sally thinks it’s really funny to scare people. She mostly goes after Jeff and CJ because they will either cry or scream. She finds it hilarious.

•Tim and Brian are basically in a toxic relationship because Tim just tells him to shut up twenty four seven. But Brian doesn’t care because he is hella a simp.

•Tim is basically a  tsundere.

•Brian will get Tim flowers and he will throw them away right in front of him. But you know he dam well digs them out of the trash when Brian leaves lol.

•Lulu bullies everyone and Sally thinks it’s funny until she does it to her.

•EJ literally will bring in a deer he killed and leave it at people’s door ways like a cat. 

•EJ literally growls at people when he gets annoyed or angry with them.

•When I said EJ is feral he is feral lol

•Clocky literally will pass out if she sees someone bleed. She is the most useless of them all when it comes to killing.

•Toby can sit still for hours just staring at a wall.

•Slender looks so unthreatening that it is funny. But somehow he still can control all these people lol.

•Sally, Lulu, and Liu get along really well. Because they are all asses lol.

•Jeff has definitely got a teddy bear for Nina on Valentines and she has definitely straight up laughed in his face and said fuck off.

•Ben literally never shuts up about swimming and Jeff’s a little concerned.

•Ben loves the outdoors and doesn’t like just sitting around inside.

•Ben literally hates gaming and will point every flaw in games and how bad they are for you like it is a sin to play them.

•Ben watched one video and will never do it again……. I wonder what he saw 😨

•Sally tries to get Ben to join in the chaos but he is like no I have to go look at treessssss.

•Jeff hates horror and loves watching comedies but like the cheesy ones that probably have a side plot of romance.

•Tim hates Jeff because he doesn’t own the fact he has killed so many people.

•Nina has literally poisoned Jeff’s food luckily he only got food poisoning and threw it all up.

•Some how Jeff still adores her and says she is just so pretty.

•Jeff has the most wholesome crush on Nina but she literally wants to break him.

•Nina has probably asked Jeff on a date just for her to show up with a bat to bash is head in. But luckily he probably talked to Jane about it for like hours. She was like this is super suspicious and followed him. 

————————————————————————

If you want more I will gladly make a part three! Hope that these were good enough. I’m a little tired lol. Anyway love you all ❤️

[colorfulyetsinful]

As like all my other hcs I wrote this on my phone (actually wrote this while at work but let’s not this about that too hard). I wanted to go into more detail, but thought that’ll make it confusing and just choose to do it like this.

This is just something I think about when overwhelmed bc it’s helps distract me. I mostly think about it from a jondami perspective bc why not.

I might do more about this, if 5 ppl like this. Sorry if this doesn’t make sense :(

Enjoy!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Reverse Batfam hc

Duke was the first adopted after his parents died from the joker

he’s still “the signal” but that’s a little later”

Damian joins in after, he’s the oldest of the Wayne kids

Duke looked up to Damian and was a little self conscious of his place in the family

he ended up getting g shot by joker and became oracle (he still calls himself the signal)

Jon is 3 years older then Damian

they met the same way with Damian trying to kidnap him to fight

they didn’t really say they were friends but they were friends

they form the teen titans when Damian was 14

the members are raven and beast boy ofc, then Colin and jon, and maps….kathy, maya, djinn II and Conner queen joining later

Jon is the oldest

Jon started dating Jay (Damian had a crush on Jon)

they broke up later and Damian was in a secret relationship with Colin (not really secret they just never out right said it)

Jon left the team after he graduated high school wanting to focus more on school

(the team kinda disbanded a little after with Kathy taking over for a bit)

Damian gave up being Robin after getting in a fight with Bruce

Joined a cult fight ring where he met back with Conner and met flatline

him and Colin also broke up (it was mutual with just a bit of awkwardness)

Tim became Robin after finding out Batman’s identity and the little shit was so desperate he put his family in danger just to get Batman’s attention (fucking dumbass)

Damian comes back to Gotham with a new Robin and he goes to Jon bc Jon was his comfort

they formed the titans again (with the added few)

Kon is born and Jon learns to be a big brother

He also makes it a good idea to introduce kon and Tim

Damian does not like Tim

he regrets it after Tim is kidnapped by the joker and is tortured to becoming joker Jr and ended up falling to his death

anyways he dies and Damian regrets not being there to at least help guide him

Bruce is destroyed, he was just starting to like Tim and his company only for that to happen to him (he didn’t really accept Tim bc of how he put himself in danger and only took tim in bc his parent were in hiding in another country) (imagine the phone call they got)

Kon also dies around this time

Jon and Damian pull apart from the team and eachother

Jon forced to become Superman after his father dies from doomsday

Damian “retiring” from heroing and going back to the legue of assassins

(he’s actually to keep an eye on his grandfather)

Bruce meets Jason and takes him in

he doesn’t tell Jason about Batman but Jason is a smart kid so he finds out eventually

Bruce is more protective over Jason so he doesn’t make him Robin right away

Damian comes back right on time when Bruce starts training Jason, he heckles Bruce a bit but starts train Jason as well so whatever happened to Tim never happens with him

Jason and Damian become a bit more closer

Stephanie joins the family as batgirl

She was friends with Tim when he was still alive

she met Batman the same way in the comics

Cassandra was adopted before Tim and was batgirl for a while until she was shot in the leg (she’s fine just was benched for a while)

Damian and Taven start dating

and Raven ends up pregnant (more on that later)

Damian and her broke up before find out tho and that’s when him and Jon were getting closer

Tim comes back to life bc ra’s Al Goul (?) wanted to use his body as a vessel and even trained him

Tim lost his memory after coming back to life, but gain it slowly through time

Fully comes back when kon comes back to life and rushes over to get Tim out before Tim’s soul can be switched

then ended up blowing up the base while escaping

They join a life of crime with Tim going through his mad scientist/villain arc

him and Jon got a Bonnie and Clyde thing going on

Also tried to kill Jason after coming back to Gotham bc he felt like Jason didn’t deserve to be Robin

Speaking of Gotham, he try’s to come back looking for his parent, only to find out they were killed by the riddler (of all ppl) and that kicked off his villain arc

Jon finds out about Kon being alive and when he asked kon why he’s doing the thing he’s doing, Kon’s just like “I rather be with Tim then the person who left me to die”

it kills Jon bc he tried everything he could to protect Kon that day but got there too late

it’s worse for jon bc he’s still grieving over the lost of Damian, and running tge titans again with the addition of Bart, kara, Cassie, and cissie

man’s is stresssd to no end

Back to Damian, he’s not actually dead, he got sent to the underworld by his grandfather after he failed the soul switch, so Ra’s went back to his og choice of a vessel.

Raven ends up having her baby, (it’s a girl), they name her Lilith bc I’m so original

She look like raven with Damian’s hair and eyes (what baby is 75% demon and the rest human)

Damian comes back to the earth (4years older, even tho only a year has passed since he’s “died”)

the catch up is insane

him and Jon start dating and they co parent with raven and bb to raise Lilith

Tim has also calmed down after Damian smacks him to his senses

he’s still a little shit and now helps the batfam with any tech things

imagine Jason but more off his rockers then homicidal

Dick is the last to join, and he’s just a ball of sunshine

Damian gains an attachment to him (mostly bc he’s only 3-4 years older then his daughter)

did I mention Damian is such a good dad bc he’s such a good dad

Dick and Lilith are spoiled by the whole family even Tim

the rouges would think more the twice then to mess with them (they do not want to get on Tim’s bad side)

Dick is also start to create his own team of young justice with Wally, Roy, Lilith, Donna, and Garth

also Jon and Damian are engaged

Ages!!

Damian - 28 (supposed to be 24) (the oldest)

Duke - 22 (second oldest)

Tim - 21 (physical, mentally he’s 19) (legally died at the age of 14)

Jason - 16 (try’s so hard to be edgy and is getting closer to tim)

Dick - 13 (the youngest)

Cass - 15

Steph - 17

Lilith - 9-10

Kent:

Jon - 26-27

Kon - 21 (technically 9)

Kara - 19

Others:

Raven, Kathy, Djinn, Jay, and bb - 25-26

Colin, Maps, Maya, Conner -23-24

Bart - 22

Cassie and cissie - 20

Wally, Roy and Donna - 11-12

Garth - 13

(I think that’s everyone I mentioned)

Names!!!

Damian - Ghoul

Duke - signal

Tim - Red

Jason -Redwing

Dick - robin

(Damian was never Robin bc that name was originally dick’s, it’s what his parent would call him, so I don’t think they’ll use Robin if Dick was never the first robin)

(Bruce used batkid bc he’s so original)

Seph is spoiler, to batgirl back to spoiler

Cass is batgirl, to blackbat

[lemontongues]

Invite me into your rich inner world pls, I must know the timtam hcs

EVERYONE IS WELCOME INTO MY RICH INNER WORLD, hello, hi!<3

the timtam headcanons…. well. I just think that if dc weren’t COWARDS we could have had like. a really good arc for them where tim decided he wanted to not be such a piece of shit?? bc tam deserves better and bc he doesn’t want this to be the way that he is like bruce when he always insists that he’s not, yknow… like of all the ways to be like batman, "treating romantic interests as resources to be used" is really not the one you wanna emulate, and tim has often been written by misogynists in the past sjfjdk so he already has a not-great track record with girlfriends.... I think it would have been a rly good opportunity to have him clean up his act, especially bc tam is a seriously great character 😭💕

anyway back to the hcs, like. I think if he made an effort to be considerate as they were working together, they could have gradually become friends again? bc the reason she was so upset with him was bc he disregarded her feelings and did something rly hurtful in the name of his vigilante work, so I think if he actually apologized and then made consistent efforts to show he had realized his fuckup and was trying to do better, then it would have been a slow process but she eventually could have forgiven him. and as tam’s trust mended I think her romantic feelings for him would have also come back (we know our girl has No Sense lmao, she got the hots for him literally mid-assassination attempt bc she thinks that shit is sexy :P) and then they could have dated for real….

and as far as those tags specifically, at that point tim would just be like. in so deep lmao, when they started fucking I just think he would be So Happy To Be There yknow 😭 he has a cool smart fun hot girlfriend who wants to have sex with him…. wow…… dreams do come true…..

[squarebracketsmileyface]

It's bad takes music anon back at it again with probably my worst take yet... Jay would 1000% listen to White Horse by Taylor Swift and cry himself to sleep about Alex... Back in college Jay? Current Jay? Your pick, I see both.

-🚫🎵

Dude, if your takes are bad takes I have no idea how freaking amazing the good takes must be because oh my god??? Yes??? This song is perfect????? (it got kinda long and messy again so, weird very rubbish song analysis hidden away)

This song is definitely one Jay first found in uni/college (after Alex started dating Amy and just up and dumped him, except technically he didn't dump him because they were never technically together, so Alex going off and talking to Amy with the intention of dating her was also technically not cheating) and it fucking destroyed him, like, full on breakdown every time he heard it, it was actually a problem. ALSO. I think Alex got him into Taylor Swift (yes I'm making Alex a swiftie in sorry it's locked, shut up I can do what I want lmaooooooooo) and so by extension Alex introduced him to this song, which just makes it even more painful :D

After uni he got a little better about the song, it still made him sob like a baby, but he had a bit more control over it and didn't just break down instantly. It's that song you put on when you need a really good cry, for him.

Then after seeing Alex again in Sorry It's Locked it comes all the way back full circle to how it was when he first found the song. He's completely fucked up by it all over again and there's nothing he can do about it but cry until he can't breathe. Like, dude is not okay. He needs copious amounts of therapy. ALTHOUGH!!!! I do think that it'd also be the song that (if Jay were to live long enough) would help him finally finally get over Alex a bit (with Tim's help). Because damn if I don't have songs and bands that a 'ex' got me into that ended up helping me get the fuck over them lmfao.

"'Cause I honestly believed in you"

"Stupid girl, I should've known, I should've known"

Ouch, yeah, Jay's thoughts back in Uni 1000000% He sat in his car and cried to this shit on the radio so bad lmao (I'm ignoring the fact that technically this song wasn't out when he was in uni/college cos it came out in like 2009 or something and I'm pretty sure Jay finished uni in like 2006? ANYWAY It was out when he was in Uni in this universe)

"This ain't Hollywood, this is a small town"

I mean, Hollywood isn't exactly known for its queer rep, but Jay 100% imagined himself and Alex as the love interests in shitty movies (especially in the shitty movies Alex made him watch and talked over the entire time with complaints and shit, because this is Alex Kralie and of course he would). He totally understood why Alex didn't want anyone to know they were fucking, but damn if it didn't hurt when he realised that that was never going to change and that they wouldn't ever graduate to dating in secret. And that Alex would go and get himself a girlfriend out of nowhere to try and pretend like he was straight so that no one knew. (Alex is bi in this, and Amy is Panromantic asexual because I say so, and she absolutely laid into him when he eventually told her all about his and Jay's thing)

"Maybe I was naive, got lost in your eyes

And never really had a chance

My mistake, I didn't know to be in love

You had to fight to have the upper hand

I had so many dreams about you and me

Happy endings, now I know"

This whole verse. Just. Yup. Poor Jay. This just explains every damn thing for him, like, idk how to explain it this was just his and Alex's relationship back in uni. This was it lmao.

"'Cause I'm not your princess, this ain't a fairytale

I'm gonna find someone someday

Who might actually treat me well

This is a big world, that was a small town

There in my rear-view mirror disappearing now

And it's too late for you and your white horse

Now it's too late for you and your white horse

To catch me now"

Jam :]

Jay in uni 100% didn't think he'd ever get over Alex (aaaaaand he doesn't entirely, but he does a little bit so) but after meeting Tim again he definitely starts thinking like this, like maybe if Alex came back he wouldn't just immediately go back to him, like he'd hesitate and maybe even refuse and instead choose to stay with Tim.