#tim drake visiting crime alley has the same energy as justin bieber when his car broke down in the hood

[ocymoron]

A Tim Drake AU where crime alley loves him.

On the days he isn’t stalking the bats he’s out familiarizing himself with crime alley because it’s where Jason is from.

He badly tries to hide his wealth but it’s kinda hard to change mannerisms you didn’t even know belonged to a certain class and eventually just stops trying.

He doesn’t get a friendly reception at first. A rich kid in crime alley is either obvious bait or a pretentious asshole flaunting his higher status. But Tim starts bringing supply bags of good shit they can’t afford and keeps “losing” small bills and eventually the community thaws. They know who he actually is (public appearances suck) and still tentatively accept his presence.

The working girls hold conversations with him and the scattered gangs comprised of homeless teens/kids teach him all kinds of vulgarities because his reactions never get old. He gets familiar and comfortable and close and then Jason dies.

Jason dies and Tim has to stop visiting all together to try and keep a grieving man alive. He can’t find the time between school and training and patrolling to visit and it’s already been half a year before he can finally take a break and grieve.

His return is met with equal parts scorn and concern and he admits that the whole reason he got to know crime alley was because of Jason Todd, who he went to school with and who he might’ve had a crush on. He grieves with them over a boy he barely knew.

He visits more and creates fully funded programs with a separate identity and unsubtly vouches that they aren’t a scam. And maybe Robin visits sometimes too, when the Bat isn’t looking, and also vouchers for the programs and they all mistakenly assume Tim somehow knows Robin.

When Jason returns as The Red Hood he has to stop again. He texts Marissa, stripper name ‘Blossom’, that he doesn’t think the Red Hood would be too happy with a Bristol kid like him encroaching on his territory. People talk and word gets round and Hood gets thanks just as often as he gets dirty looks.