Timsteph - Tumblr Posts
Waltz of Love
I was requested by @accio-fist to write about Stephanie dancing and Tim walking in on it.
Merry Christmas and I hope this lives up to your expectations!
Stephanie first sees it when she’s refining stealth techniques with Damian in the Wayne Manor (read: playing Hide and Seek). She’s in an obscure closet when she sees it, tucked away in the corner.
She wondered if it still worked.
But then Damian barges in and she has to leave it alone.
When she does get to come back, she immediately grabs it and finds the nearest empty room, setting it down. She carefully inserts a record, placing the needle on top of it.
The vinyl starts playing, and Stephanie can feel the music as it washes over her, beckoning her to dance.
And dance she does.
Stephanie doesn’t follow any set pattern, just moves with the beat. She flows with the soft and slow music, leaps with the loud and eccentric songs, and loses herself in the lyrics and rhythm.
Tim has no idea why there’s music coming from one of the older wings of the Manor, but he can’t help but try to seek out its source.
He stops in front of a door he remembers vaguely from his childhood, back when he was curious and tried to map out the entire manor.
Tim carefully opens the door and peeks his head in, expecting to see Cass or Dick or even Jason.
He did not expect to see Steph.
Tim watches with wide eyes as Stephanie dances, body gracefully twisting and turning as she moves, hair swirling around her like a halo.
When could Steph dance?
Tim’s eyes follow her legs as she twirls, one leg flung up as a guitar riff plays in the background. She’s wild and graceful, frenzied and dainty, and so beautiful.
Tim doesn’t know what comes over him but before he can stop himself, his legs carry him to her, hands slipping gently around her waist.
He feels her stiffen before turning around, and they face each other as the music transitions into a slower tune.
Steph places her hands on his shoulders, he wraps his around her waist, and they dance, entrapped in their own world.
They move as one, twirling around the room, stepping in unison. He loves the feeling of her waist under his hands, feeling her muscles flex under his fingertips. He loves looking into her eyes, seeing the peacefulness and concentration shining there. He loves every piece of her, head to toe, as he gently twirls her. Looking at her in front of him, he can’t help but think that he never wants the moment to end.
When the music starts to fade out, he thinks it only feels right to press his lips against hers, bodies melding together as the euphoria fades.
Tim Meets Ice Skating
Tim follows a specific schedule.
At 6, he gets up, gets dressed, and brushes his teeth.
At 6:30, he runs out of the house to go to work at Wayne Industries with a cup of coffee in hand. At the age of 17, he’s their youngest official worker (and he basically runs the company.)
At 12:30, he stops for a quick lunch break.
At 7, he saves all changes and leaves the building.
And at 7:30, he goes to one of the many indoor ice rinks of Gotham owned by Oswald Cobblepot. And he’s not there to skate, Time doesn’t even like skating.
No, he’s there for the blonde skater who’s always there at 7:30 helping kids out.
She’s certainly not the best skater there (but this rink is for enjoyment, not professionals), but she’s the only one who’s has that positivity just radiating off of her. She’s the only one who truly looks content, just skating gracefully while the other groups whiz by her, laughing and cheering. She’s the only one who doesn’t laugh when a kid falls but squats in front of them, coaxing them to skate, gently leading them through the rink.
She’s the only one he’s there to see.
Tim first saw her when Dick dragged him and the rest of the family there, insisting that they go for “family bonding” and “joy that can only come from gliding on ice.”
Jason had told him he was full of shit, and Tim agreed whole-heartedly.
When he did go though, he saw the blonde skating by herself and nearly fainted.
The light had been hitting her at just the right angle, highlighting her cheekbones and showing off the contours of her face. She moved languidly, legs gracefully gliding on top of the ice and no Dick he was not staring.
Somehow, he’d learned that she comes around at 7:30, there to skate by herself but also willing to help the little kids out.
Those times when she does help the children skate, compassion written on her face, they’re nice to watch. But his favorite times are when she’s left alone to skate. There, she starts to loosen up, relaxing until a small smile graces upon he face and she moves freely, like there’s not a trouble in the world.
He’s content to just watch her on the side as she laughs and spins.
But she’s not.
“Hey you, what’s the deal?” She snaps, glaring at him from the rink. “You’ve been watching me skate for weeks. Do you have anything to say?”
Blue, he realizes, staring at her. He’s never been this close to her before. Her eyes were blue, like the sky on days where clouds are nowhere to be seen and there’s a light breeze and-
“Well?” She demands, eyebrows arching. “Are you going to answer me?”
Tim flushes and offers her a flustered compliment on her skating (it stills earns him a smile though, and Tim goes him that day with spirits soaring.)
Afterwards, she always makes sure to greet him with a cheery “hello” and a blinding smile. They’d sit on the side together and just talk, first about ice skating, then about their day, their lives, their families.
Tim would watch her talk, her hands moving animatedly, her cheeks flushed, and feel this unknown sensation bubble up in his chest.
He’d still come everyday, watching her skate. She got a little more daring, executing more spins and jumps than normal (he’s not complaining, strangely enough he finds himself liking the way her legs flex, her back arch, her arms stretch.)
He loves seeing the delight and cheer on her face when she perfects a spin (his favorite is when she mastered the flying sit spin, she was so excited that she flung her arms around his neck and kissed him on the cheek. He went home with his head in the clouds.)
It’s December 31st and he’s walking by the ice rink when he notices the light inside (he’s pretty sure the ice rink shouldn’t be open on New Year’s Eve). He’s surprised to see Steph there, getting ready to start a spin before the door slams close.
She starts and her feet come out beneath her, crashing onto the floor.
Tim is by her side in seconds, gently helping her up and spewing out apologies faster than she can understand.
He pulls her up, careful to not hurt her and she stands up and oh.
She’s close to him. Like, really close. Like if he just tilted his head he’d be able to kiss her close.
Like Steph standing on her tiptoes and pressing her lips up against his mouth close. Like Tim kissing back with all he’s got while fireworks herald in the new year close. Like Tim’s hands sliding down to fit perfectly onto her hips close.
They break apart, breathing heavily.
“Happy New Year Tim,” Steph whispers, gently leaning up to kiss his lips one more time before walking away, humming one song or another.
Tim just stands there, dazed.
Close as Strangers
Tim hurts Stephanie a lot
Or: soulmate au that none of you asked for where any injury inflicted upon your soulmate is also inflicted onto you
Stephanie flies up with a scream breaking through her lips, ripping her bedsheets off and clasping her side. The heavy metallic smell of copper floods her nostrils, and Stephanie bites back the pain ripping through her.
Already there are more bruises blossoming on her body, purple and blue covering her like a painting.
Her hand comes away sticky and she sighs, blinking in the dim light casted in her bedroom by the moon. The sun isn’t up yet and Stephanie resigns herself to another sleepless night.
She stares at her hand, blood staining it slowly as it runs over the lines on her hand, bleeding through her fingers and onto the bedsheets- Oh hell no.
Stephanie flings herself out of her bed, wincing slightly at the pain that burns in her right side, observing her bedding with horror. The blood is spreading already, blooming out like a wave, consuming everything in it’s path. She swears silently. This is the seventh one she’s ruined ever since she’s moved out of her mom’s house and into Gotham University.
And this one was her favorite too.
Rubbing her eyes, she makes her way slowly to the bathroom and lifts her bloodied shirt to check on the injury. She groans, pain beating into her skull. Her breathing starts getting labored, and it hurts to draw in a breath. When she finally meets this soulmate of hers, she’s actually going to kill him.
Stephanie leans over to grab her first aid kit, which was already starting to run low on supplies.
She just restocked it last week.
She cleans her side as quickly as she can before expertly wrapping the wound, with deft fingers who’ve had years of experience behind them.
Her soulmate’s a pain. It is his fault that she’s now majoring in the medical field. She wasn’t going to have her mother wrap her wounds for the rest of her life, and someone was going to have to care for her idiot soulmate.
Although it did seem like someone did, seeing how he wasn’t dead yet. Her soulmate must be a huge daredevil because there hasn’t been a day since she’s turned 13 where she hasn’t woken up with a multitude of bruises and cuts on her body.
(Steph tries not to think about the amount of times she’s woken up with broken bones. One of the biggest mysteries in her dorm is the topic of her soulmate. Who’s so daring that their soulmate would end up covered head to toe in wounds?)
“Soulmates are a gift and should be treasured, they said,” she grumbles under her breath, moving onto the other cuts still opening up on her body, “it’s a blessing, they said.”
At this point, it’s better they don’t meet. She’s not sure if she’ll be able to restrain herself from killing the idiot herself.
Rolling her eyes, she throws herself back onto her bed. Her soulmate might be determined to get himself cut to pieces but she sure as hell isn’t looking forward to facing her test without sleep.
As it turns out, the test isn’t an issue, curtesy of Two Face invading.
They all watch with bated breath as he flips the coin.
“Tails,” he announces. “We wait for the Bat.
There’s a collective sigh of relief. With Batman, they have a chance of salvation.
Stephanie feels something start to build up, like something important and life changing is going to happen, and it’s going to happen soon.
Robin comes in first, bursting in the door with his bo-staff in front of him. Batman quickly follows suit and Steph watches with bated breath as they engage in battle.
Even when everyone else runs out, she stays in the corner, fixed onto the battle. She stares in horror as one of Two Face’s grunts drives a knife into Robin, burying it to the hilt and blood gushes out and-
Steph doubles over as pain erupts from her own abdomen and a small scream escapes from her lips.
Two Face doesn’t see her, and but Batman and Robin do, and in her pain-induced haze she thinks their eyes may have widened.
And then everything goes dark.
Stephanie awakens slowly to the familiar beeping of a heart monitor. The rest slowly washes over her, the slight murmuring of voices, the tapping of keys on a keyboards and- Where those bats?
Her eyes snaps open and she flies up, cringing slightly as her body screams in pain.
“Hey, take it easy,” she hears, and the curses she has ready die down in her throat.
Turning over, she studies the male who’s to be her soulmate. He’s a cute one, hair blacker than night, eyes bluer than the ocean.
Stephanie wonders what she’s done to be blessed with a man who basically won the genetic lottery.
And then she remembers that he’s the reason why she’s been in constant pain everyday for six years and her mood sours quickly.
“Just my luck,” she grumbled. “I meet my soulmate and I can’t even get out of bed to strangle him properly.”
The boy cracks a hesitant smile and Steph tries to ignore the fact that her heart (and the heart monitor) skipped a beat before flying into overdrive.
God he’s handsome.
Stephanie blinks when she feels a hand gently encase her own, rubbing it apologetically. She fixes her gaze onto her soulmate, the one who’s very soul was carved out to fit hers perfectly, and feels her checks heat up.
Stephanie tries to think of something to say, something to kickstart the conversation.
What does one say to the person whose soul is tied so closely to their own that their body can’t stand it when the other gets hurt?
Stephanie squirms slightly under his intense stare, the way his eyes seems to be worshiping her.
“Hi,” he finally says with a crooked smile that she loves already. “I’m Tim.”
She smiles, warm as the sun.
“Hello Tim, it’s nice to meet you. I’m Stephanie.”
And then the silence is shattered and their fate is sealed.
Under His Nose
It’s a completely normal day when Tim finally realized it. He had woken up like normal, brushed his teeth and got dressed. He drank the coffee that Stephanie made for him and listens to her endearing reminders to remember to lift his head up and remember to eat.
She’s out the door and he feels strangely lonely. His coffee no longer holds any appeal for him. He’s bored beyond belief without her.
Sighing, he pushes away from his table and starts to walk out and–
Wait.
He blinks.
One.
Two.
Three.
Since when did Tim own a waffle iron? Especially a purple one that still has a scratch on it from when Stephanie hit a burglar with it?
Tim looked around his kitchen, and notes with horror that he does not remember owning over half of the kitchen appliances in there. In fact, at least half of his kitchen is now purple.
Eggplant, his mind supplies helpfully.
In fact, Tim distantly remembers Stephanie doing her homework on the counter while eating cookies.
He blinks again.
Did Steph move in to the second greatest detective’s home right under his nose?
He cursed.
No. Freaking. Way.
Except, that’s the only way to explain the second toothbrush and cup in his bathroom. That’s the only way to explain the worn cartoon towels that have entered in towel closet, a contrast from the plain white towels he favors. That’s the only way to explain how a frozen waffles and popsicles have entered his fridge. That’s the only way to explain why only half the stuff in his closet is his own because he doesn’t remember owning dresses or shoes or–
Oh wait.
Yeah, thats the dress that Dick accidentally bought for him, his mind only registering on the robin red part and not the floor length gown part. And those are the heels that Cass had left in his house after a party and never came to retrieve them. And those are the necklaces his mother once owned.
Phew. Okay. So she hasn’t completely moved it in while he was unaware.
Except.
Tim has more than one closet.
Resisting the urge to hit his head on the door, Tim opens up the door to what’s supposed to be his closet. He’s resigned, he already knows what he’s going to see and yep. There it is.
There’s the tattered red hoodie she could never bear to part with. There’s the black leggings she always wears because they’re comfortable. There’s the purple dress she wore when they saved Leslie. There’s the row of heels and sneakers and flats all lined up. There’s the diamond necklace he got her on a trip to France.
Tim has no idea how he did not notice Steph move in. Some detective he was.
He resolves to immediately speak with her about her living arrangements because under no circumstances was she to move in without his permission-
There’s a sinking feeling in his stomach when he remembers that oh right they share a bed.
And the suddenly Steph’s home and he automatically walks over to greet her and she beams at him and he wraps his arm around her shoulder.
For a minute he wonders when this has become what’s familiar to him.
Then Steph leans up and he leans down and all his former thoughts drift away…
His eyes fly open.
Is that a hamster he sees in the corner of his living room?
5 More Things That Never Happened to Stephanie Brown
Part two of 5 things that never happened to Stephanie.
1. The Even Number Robins When the doors of her cell blow down and a guy in a red helmet comes in guns blaring, mouth swearing, the first thought that pops up in Steph’s mind isn’t cool entrance or even damn, this guy’s ripped.
She’s not thinking any coherent thought actually, just that she’s never coming back to Japan.
But those thoughts kind of disappeared when the guy stepped in front of her and snorts, “Who the fuck are you?”
And so, the even numbered screw up robins meet.
Her last regret before she dies is that she’s eaten less than a thousand waffles her entire life.
She likes to think she snorts back something smart but to be honest, she’s a little out of it so maybe her account is a little skewed up.
But the basics are there and that’s what matters.
Then he takes her somewhere and gets her healed and tells her to enjoy the couch, he’s taking the bed.
Who says chivalry is dead?
And years later, when she’s calling him, warbling a heeeeeey Jacion and he’s picking up with a sigh and a grunt and plea to have her extracted from his life, she knows that they’ve really formed a bond.
2. Harmony Stephanie remembers when she had a voice.
When she would skip around and laugh and joke and words would fall from her lips like water drops and all gone all gone.
Stephanie remembers when her father took them all away.
Stephanie remembers the fear, Stephanie remembers the smell of beer, Stephanie remembers the jeers.
Stephanie remembers when she had harmony.
Stephanie remembers mute mute mute.
Stephanie remembers ugly and clashing and anger and warring emotions and then.
Stephanie remembers the blue eyed boy who brought so much light into her life, who made her smile like no other, who helped her find harmony again.
When Stephanie finally steps up onto the stage to play her piano piece, her eyes only see Tim.
And when she allows her fingers to gently rest upon the keys and create a flowing melody, she remembers Tim gently encouraging her to keep playing.
When she’s done and breathing heavily and smiling with absolute delight and applause is ringing all around her–
She only sees Tim.
(Years late she’ll sit him down and start playing, placing all her emotions into the song until Tim hugs her and repeats her message back to her ten times over and she leans up and he leans down and she learns another form of harmony.
IloveyouIloveyouIloveyou)
3. Beware the Spoiler Batgirl was hers. But with her legs out of commission, Batgirl is a distant spot in the horizon.
It’s time to move on. It’s time for a new name.
She’s always liked Spoiler.
Years later when she’s ruthlessly hacking into Jason’s phone and Tim’s games and Dick’s laptop and Lex Luthor’s company, she gets a grim feel of delight as countless of people are stumped by the Spoiler.
4. Meet the Family “Are you nervous?” Tim asks her gently, as he guided her up the stairs.
“I’m about to meet my boyfriend’s family, who just happen to be one of the richest families in the world, and could buy my family without blinking an eye. No. I am not nervous. In fact, I am the epitome of not nervous,” Steph rambled, apprehensive. She knew she shouldn’t have gone for the shy boy sitting in the corner, reading.
Tim just laughs and guides her gently in and she pretends that she’s not clinging onto Tim’s hand like a lifeline.
Years later, when she screaming after Damian and chasing after Jason to get her phone back, she wonders how she could have ever been scared of them.
(And when Tim finally kneels on one knee and pulls out a ring, the only answer bursting from her lips is yes yes always.)
5. Hope Shines Bright Stephanie Brown is a dignified ambassador of the Blue Lantern Corp. She does not get angry with a little upstart named Damian makes fun of her chest, she does not throw a car at Sinestro Corp Bruce when he angers her, and her heart does not skip a beat when Green Lantern Tim Drake smiles at her.
(But damn his eyes are so blue and his muscles are just-)
She does not blush when Tim presents her with a flower, she does not get distracted by his mouth when he’s talking, and she does not feel warm inside when he wraps her up in his arms after pulling her out of the way from a life threatening hit.
She does not feel ecstatic when she and Tim are partnered up, her heart does not speed up whenever he tenderly dresses her wounds, she does not feel warm fuzzies remembering that she makes him stronger.
Stephanie is in denial and very much in love.
Seven Things About Timsteph
Stephanie Brown has seven stuffed animals from Tim Drake.
"Here," he said, thrusting the small furry object onto her lap. "I saw this and thought of you."
Tim Drake has seven ties from Stephanie Brown.
"You don't have enough style," she says bluntly. "Thankfully, you have me to fix that for you, and you will forever banish those horrid things you call ties from your closet."
Stephanie has six lipsticks from Tim.
"See, I saw this one and I knew you had to have it. It's purple too!" Tim says to her (she doesn’t even like purple lipstick). Somehow those become her favorites; it may or may not have to do with the way Tim's face lights up when he sees her wearing them.
Tim has six keychains from Stephanie.
Tim's been to every single place that Steph got the keychains from. Still, there's something special about the way she eagerly watches his reaction as she gives them to him.
Stephanie has five 90s on her classes to thank Tim.
"After that, you move 16 over here, then you divide by 36, and you get x," He says, concentrating on her homework. Stephanie can't help but think he looks like a work of art, her crappy lamp washing light across his face, showing off the contours of his face.
Tim has four cuff-links from Stephanie.
They're far from being the most elaborate or expensive cuff-links he owns but they're still some of his favorites, and he makes a point of wearing at least one once a week.
Stephanie got four hugs from Tim.
Each time, she felt the safest she could ever be, wrapped up in Tim's warm arms. She couldn't help but feel like she fits perfectly with him, her head fitting perfectly against the curve of his neck.
Stephanie gives him three kisses on the cheek.
Tim feels heat explode onto his face as Stephanie leans up and presses her lips carefully against his cheek. Jason decides to take a picture right there, and Tim keeps it hanging so that it's the first thing he sees when he wakes up.
Tim stitched Steph up three times.
"Chill out boy wonder, I'm not going to break," she grins, watching Tim hesitate for the third time. Still, she can't help but feel cherished as Tim carefully stitches her up, concentrating so hard his forehead creases.
Tim saved Steph's life two times
"Breathe Steph," He whispers as she's choking on air. Tim tried to ignore the bruises on her neck. He's never wanted to kill anyone more than he's wanted to kill Cluemaster.
"Thank you," she whispers to him late at night, when they're TimStephRobinSpoilerBatgirlRedRobin.
He hums and carefully resists the urge to kiss her right there, after being so close to losing her to a bullet.
Stephanie taught Tim two things.
"No, Tim!" She laughs, hitting his shoulder. "Move your pinkies here, on C, and let your fingers fill in this space in between!" She couldn't help but feel pride rise up in her as she watches him play his first scale. (And even more pride when he successfully plays Mary Had a Little Lamb)
They both have one secret.
"I love you," he whispers, watching her chest rise and fall as she sleeps peacefully.
"I love you," she finally allows herself to say it aloud staring at a blank screen where Tim had just bade her good night.
tangled and stretched (but never broken)
Timsteph Soulmate au take 3: the red string of fate
Stephanie remembers the first time she saw the red string.
She was six, and her grandma winked at her before making a cats cradle with the string connected to her pinkie, stretching out to the kitchen where her grandpa stood.
This, she murmured, placing Stephanie on her lap, is the red string of fate. Those connected by it are destined lovers, and are predetermined to always meet at some point in their lives. It can tangle and stretch, but never break. The one on the other end of the string will always the be the most match. And one day, you will find your other half, my sweet little Stephanie.
Stephanie nodded eagerly, imagining the time when she would find her own soulmate, her own love.
Bah! Her grandma’s voice suddenly changed. But your mother is stubborn. She insisted on defying the red strings of fate and marrying someone who is not her better half. This marriage will not end well, my little Stephanie. Be careful around that man, my sweet. You will have to face a hard future.
Years later, Stephanie can not say she is surprised when her father starts falling deeper into his criminal schemes and when her mother starts embracing her pills more than she ever embraced Stephanie.
Still, Stephanie is unprepared for how far her father would go to be recognized, how far her mother would fall down the abyss.
And she slowly recognizes that she has to stop her father.
When she meets Robin, it’s insignificant.
Well, as insignificant as hitting someone with a brick.
When the brick cracked across his face, Robin and her ring finger jerked and she realized with that the string on her finger, the one that never seemed to end, was connected to the pinky finger of Robin.
She only saw Robin’s shocked face before she ran.
He was her soulmate, she would realize in shock when she got home and could finally think coherently.
My soulmate, she whispers to herself at night. Soulmate, the night would whisper back to her. Soulmate.
It took three days for Robin to track her down. (I followed the string, he whispered to her when they’re curled up together on the bed. I would’ve followed it forever to meet you.)
They carve out their spaces in each other’s hearts, with soft whispers of love and gentle caresses. They smile at each other under the moon, lost in each other’s warmth.
Then he is torn from her.
(I am no longer Robin, he says stiffly. And you can not visit me or else my father would grow suspicious.)
She becomes Robin. Then she “dies”.
She comes back. Then Batman dies.
Tim looks at her with betrayal.
(Don’t let me catch you in that suit again, he snarls, and her heart breaks as he tries to tear down what she worked to hard to protect.)
But then he’s back and she’s Batgirl and he’s Red Robin and Batman’s alive, He exclaims to everyone.
They work on a case together and she can’t help the shiver that runs up her back as his eyes drink her up in her purple dress.
But Batman’s back and Tim turns away from her again and she smacks Batman (her!! Stephanie Brown, normal girl who has to scream for her words to be heard.)
When everything settled down, she could only look from afar and feel the chasm between them, feel her string burn with an intensity at being in such close proximity with the one who completes her heart.
Still, with the string, it’s only a matter of time before the found each other again.
As she stands across from him, she can’t help but to remember that time, ages ago, when she was Spoiler and he was Robin and they were young and in love. Looking across at him, she can’t help but feel exactly she did at the young age of 15, looking shyly across at Tim with a soft smile. Under the moonlight, everything feels new and she feels young and innocent and ready to conquer anything with her love.
It doesn’t take much for them to find nirvana in one another, tangled up in sheets whispering sweet nothings to each other, feeling years of separation disappear like nothing as they giggle with each other.
They’ve changed but that’s okay because she still fits perfectly under his arm there and he still touches her like that and they’ve changed but they’ve also stayed the same.
Grandma, she whispers out to the night. I found him, the one on the other side of my string, can you see?
Beside her, Tim shifts and pulls her closer.
6 years
“I can’t believe you’re finally leaving,” Stephanie says, bumping her feet against the bed.
“Yeah,” Tim agrees, focused on folding his clothes. “Took awhile to get here though.”
“If only you were leaving next year,” she says wistfully.
That gets his attention. He stops folding, and looks at her.
“Why?” He asks, curiosity peeking through his eyes.
“They say if you’ve been friends for seven years, you’ll stay friends forever,” Steph says, leaning back on the bed. “We’ve only got six.”
She can’t see him anymore, but she knows he’s shaking his head.
“Do you not have faith in our friendship lasting?” Steph thinks she can hear hurt in his voice. She doesn’t know. She tries to pretend that the chasm between the two isn’t growing.
“Maybe.”
Stephanie hears Tim pause. She can picture what he looks like: face almost blank, but with that kicked puppy dog light shining through, head slightly tilted, hair falling in front of his eyes.
She wishes she had the courage to look up at him, because it would be a stunning sight to see, but that’ll address the tightness in her heart and it’s too late for that now.
“Stephanie?” He asks again, and yup, that’s definitely hurt she hears in his voice.
She stay silent, hoping that maybe he’ll give it up and they can move on to the light topics they were discussing beforehand (she knows he won’t).
Instead, the silence between them grows heavier and heavier and suddenly it’s hard to breathe and Stephanie wants to scream–
“It’s just,” She starts hesitantly, “You’re going to be so far away.” She watches Tim’s shoulders relax slightly (and hates herself a little more for causing him a moment of worry because Tim doesn’t deserve that he doesn’t deserve that–)
“Yeah, I know what you mean. It’ll be weird not even living in the same town as everyone.”
Stephanie says nothing, choosing to watch him silently as he turns back to his backing and almost wishes she said something else. Instead, she just wonders. She wonders about how Tim will be when he gets to his college (he’ll throw himself completely into his work at first, never bothering with socializing. He’ll dedicate himself wholly into his work and never come out unless there’s someone who can drag him out, someone who won’t be her anymore). She wonders if he will be able to make friends (he will. Tim is extremely charismatic once he pokes his head out from work. It’s how she stayed by his side even after her initial curiosity wore off.)
She wonder if he’ll finally get a girlfriend. (He will. Tim has a soft charm to him that make it hard for anyone to look away, has a crooked smile that still made Steph swoon even after years of friendship. He’ll get a beautiful girlfriend easily, one who will hold his hand and go out on dinner dates with him and meet his family and gently cup his face and lean up and kiss his lips–)
Steph suddenly feels sick.
Instead she thinks about the past six ears, the most beautiful six years of her life, the phone calls at 2 a.m. when she would talk and he would groan about sleeping and oh God what if those end please no.
But it’s no use because suddenly she’s thinking too hard and she realizes that soon instead of long talks at night Tim will be hanging up early and laugh with his new girlfriend and his new friends and she will fade slowly out of his life until one day his girlfriend will point at a picture of her and ask who is she? and Tim will laugh and throw his arms around her and say no one important to us dear.
She’ll slowly lose importance in his life and that thought terrifies her.
Please, she begs to whoever is listening. Please don’t take him away from me.
Barbara: Steph, you deserve the best and you found it. Tim, don’t you dare hurt her.
Tim: *chuckles* I won’t.
Dick: Don’t laugh. She means it.
Tim: I-I won’t.
Bruce: Seriously son, don’t hurt her.
Tim: Okay, I’m not planning on hurting her?
Cass: You better not be.
Tim: I’m not!
Jason: Hey Tim, you best watch yourself.
Tim: Why do any of you think I would hurt Stephanie? You’re all my family too.
Damian: Eh
Five Times Stephanie Brown Made the News
This fic is for @ladykattz who I offer a million apologies for being so late. I hope this fic makes it up to you.
Prompt: “Can you do something with Stephanie being Tim’s date to a gala or visiting him at Wayne Enterprises for whatever reason? I just wanna see how all these high class or professional workplace people view this unknown girl who is constantly chilling with the Waynes.”
1. The first time Stephanie made the news, she was fifteen and Gotham exploded at the news of another vigilante working their way through the Gotham underworld. Word on the street was, this one wore purple and had hair bright as the sun. Among themselves, Gothamites gossiped. Some didn’t believe she’d last a week, others thought she’d make it to a month. No one believed she would ever truly succeed. Behind her mask, Stephanie narrowed her eyes and swore to prove them wrong. 2. Stephanie makes news again as Stephanie, friend of the elusive Cassandra Cain, whom which journalists would sell their organs for to get an interview. They watch as the blonde chatters freely to the sole daughter of Bruce Wayne, a smiling often flitting across her face, one mirrored easily on Cassandra’s face as well. At one point, Cassandra Cain laughs so hard she doubles over, clutching her stomach. Her eyes wrinkle, and the newspapers papers dub her a beauty in a beat. Who is this girl, who seems to familiar to the most elusive and impassive members of the Wayne Family?
3. The third time Stephanie made it on the news, she was seen in the arms of one Timothy Drake at the Wayne Gala. The same mysterious blonde hanging out with Gotham’s princess was now firmly established as the girlfriend of one of Gotham’s prince. The news story only briefly brushed over how Tim’s eyes never left his date, how under the soft lights the two smiled like gems. How Dick’s arms often wrapped about the two like family and Damian dances with Stephanie and over again. Mostly, it focused on the elites throwing themselves into a tizzy as they fumed over a common girl on the arms of one of the men in highest demand. This blonde, with her obnoxious laugh and cheap jewelry had the nerve to steal one of the most wanted men, and did so in a Macy’s dress. The ladies decked out in Gucci and Swarovski diamonds fluffed their hundred dollar insured hair in disgust. The elites scorned and scoffed, but no one could deny the happiness radiating off of the couple. Nor could they deny that the words “pompously overdressed clout” left Stephanies lips multiple times as the couple laughed themselves into oblivion watching the Elite of Gotham flush purple. 4. The fourth time Stephanie made the news, it was after an interview with a Wayne Enterprise secretary. The anonymous secretary provides multiple reports on the recent sunshine appearing in the Wayne Enterprises. It would appear that rain or shine, a blonde female would skip up the stairs to the Wayne Tower, press a kiss on Mr. Drake’s forehead (which, in the 279 days that she has observed Ms. Browns arrivals, have never failed to bring a happy smile to his face) and cheerfully encourage the workers to keep up the good work. Ms. Brown, the secretary raves, is a miracle worker. She was thoughtful too, always asking Mr. Wang about his daughter and Mrs. McClain about her hospitalized father and Mr. Mendoza about his newborn. It was as if, she writes, entrapped in her shining blonde hair and blue eyes was the sun itself. It certainly had a favorable effect among Tower the workers and Mr. Drake himself.
5. The fifth time Stephanie makes the news, she is a new hero. Another year, another gala, another outing as one of Gotham’s most well established couples. Tim slips his arms around Steph’s waist and she leans up to press a soft kiss onto his jaw, raising her hand to admire the gleaming diamond on her finger. Together, they greet all those who congratulate them on their recent engagement. A soft love wraps around them, and happiness radiates off them. Stephanie takes great delight in bragging about the newest Revlon eyeshadow and the upcoming Fenty Beauty release as the ladies gather around her. A few titter and clutch luxury powders, but she’s proud to see that majority of the women are listening intently to what she says. It never fails to delight her when girls walk up to her to strike a conversation about a product she recommended. Still, of course something goes wrong and this it comes in the form of the Condiment King, shouting about his own power and youth and lost chances. When the rest of the elites rush back and a jumble of confused shouts and scared expressions, Stephanie takes the opportunity to punch him right across the jaw- after she chews him out for even thinking about interrupting her special moment and her engagement. Not on her watch, she snaps, glaring down towards the trembling Condiment King, aiming a kick towards his ribs. What a girl, the elites whisper among themselves. How selfless, how heroic. Her fiancé is a lucky man. What a hero.
Behind them, the Wayne family grins.
The Mystery of the Misplaced Mail
Stephanie Brown could feel her heart rate spike already, blue eyes blazing as she glared at the offending object in her mailbox.
Because in her mailbox, her wonderful mailbox meant to contain her mail was another box labeled “To: Mr. Timothy Drake, Apartment 306.”
This has been a reoccurring event ever since a couple months ago, where she had first opened her mailbox to Timothy Drake’s mail. At first she had laughed it off because he was in the neighboring apartment to hers, and just shoved it back into his mail box. But now, five months after the first incident occured, she’s very quickly becoming annoyed. Especially today. Today she was flaming mad.
This. Ends. Now.
Stephanie grabs the mail and takes off, ignoring Mr. Bane who waves at her as she tears through the hallway, runs up three levels of stairs, and slams at the door to room 306. She ignores the muffled “coming!” and continues to attack the door, feeling her cholesterol levels rise.
She doesn’t wait for Mr. Timothy Drake to finish opening the door, just pushes at it and marches in.
“How does this keep happening?” She shrieks, flinging the mail right into the blue eyed man’s face, ignoring the three men laughing in the apartment. “It literally has your name and your apartment and-“ she broke off abruptly, face flushing.
Because holy hell, Timothy Drake? He was a knockout.
She’s heard about him before because he’s basically the prince of Gotham, but Jesus she didn’t expect him to be chiseled by the hands of God.
He’s taller than her, with broad shoulders and blue eyes that shatter her world and put it back together. His glasses carefully frame his face and oh lord his face is doing funny things to her stomach.
Open mouth, insert foot.
“So um, yeah” She says awkwardly, feeling a flush rise up her cheeks. “You should label your things more clearly? Um, have a good day?” Clumsily, she stumbled to the door and prepares to walk out when a hand grabs her wrist and she’s right into Timothy Drake’s dazzling eyes.
There’s flecks of green in there too, she thinks, dazed.
“Sorry about that,” Timothy says to her, sheepish grin on his face. “I had no idea that was happening.”
Stephanie nodded stupidly. “Uh, yeah, I, um, I usually just stick it back into your mailbox,” she says, kicking herself for her lack of eloquence.
“Thank you,” he says, smiling warmly at her. “I don’t suppose we’ve met, have we? I’m Tim Drake, pleasure to meet you.”
Stephanie can tell her face is red as a tomato.
“Yeah, I’m Stephanie, I uh, I live in the apartment next door,” she says finally, jabbing towards the general direction of her apartment. “Um, sorry for barging in like... that,” she finishes awkwardly, ducking her head slightly.
“No problem,” Tim says with a crinkle to his eyes. “Let me make it up to you yeah? Are you open any time soon? There’s a good steakhouse around the corner.”
Stephanie feels her stomach erupt into butterflies as she realized that Tim Drake, attractive man with a devastating smile, was asking her to a date.
“Um, yeah,” she says, “see you Monday? 5 o clock?”
Tim grins at her and she thinks she can definitely get used to this feeling in her chest.
“See you there.”
_____________________________________
Tim waited for the door to close before wheeling onto the male closest to him.
“Jason I told you to stop messing with her mail!”
___________________________________________
I am so sorry!! This was supposed to go up last week, I had it queue’d and everything but it just never went up, and I just realized now.
Of Christmas Sweaters and Abominations
Timothy Drake would like to shrink into a nearby crevice and never come out. Timothy Drake would like to sink into a lake and never surface. Timothy Drake would like to fight Harley Quinn with one hand tied behind his back. Timothy would like to do anything but have to stand in front of Wayne Enterprise’s associates in an ugly Christmas sweater.
Timothy’s seen some downright ugly things in his life (a drunk Swamp Thing ranks pretty high) but nothing is uglier than the abomination he has been forced into.
The sweater (if it can even be called that) is a horrendous furry green and red explosion with silver tassels flying everywhere and a plump santa leering at everyone.
Tim nearly cried the first time he saw it.
Damian’s having the time of his life, laughing at him in the corner. Tim shoots him a stink eye. It’s just not fair that he weaseled out of this, staying safe in a striped sweater.
Dick skips by him and Tim nearly gags at the Christmas joy radiating off of him. Of course Dick manages to pull of his horrendous light up Christmas sweater and hat. Dick can’t look bad in anything.
Tim is halfway through despairing about the state of humanity and mourning his own ruined social standards when warm arms wrap around him and all his thoughts float away.
Humanity was good and well and prospering. His social status wasn’t completely ruined. Damian Wayne can eat his smirk. Dick Grayson can shove his stupid smile somewhere else.
Because Tim Drake, in all his ugly Christmas sweater glory, had the prettiest girl in all of Gotham hugging him. He can feel a smile tug at his lips as he relaxes into Stephanie’s arms.
“Hey you,” She giggles, “You look dashing.”
Tim grin and neatly turns around.
“Hey yourself,” he says, pressing his forehead against hers.
Never mind the fact that they’re wearing the same sweater, Stephanie looks like a goddess. Tim swears that he’s not biased but he’s convinced that red, green, and silver are her colors.
“You have that ridiculous look on your face again, Drake,” Damian shoots as he slides out to greet Stephanie and only mildly grumbles as she reaches out to ruffle his hair.
“You’re an angel,” he says as Damian moves away to pester Dick. “I have no idea how you deal with him.”
Stephanie laughs and he drinks up every sound, eyes glued to her glowing smile and gleaming eyes.
“Let’s ignore our baby demon and enjoy each other’s company, yeah?”
Timothy hums and wraps his arm around her waist. He could almost forget that this beautiful woman was the reason for his pain in the monstrosity that called itself a sweater-
almost.
“You owe me,” he huffs. “I am suffering in this disgusting example of all of humanity’s failures.”
Stephanie only laughs again, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“You love it,” she says, before leaning up to connect their lips.
“Merry Christmas, boyfriend wonder.”
Although DickBabs or Dibs as I like to call it, will always be my OTP. I feel like TimSteph is often overlooked. They’re pretty darn cute too. I love how she is so loud and open about her attraction to Tim and he’s just so bashful about it.
Of Bricks and Wedding Rings
Stephanie might not be rich like a certain heir of a multi billionaire, but she still understands big gestures. So when Tim challenges her to outdo his proposal with ferris wheels, skywriting and fireworks, Stephanie takes it seriously.
Because Stephanie might not have the money to buy out amusement parks or huge diamond rings, but she does understand people and she never shied away from a challenge.
Stephanie launches her plan with Dick. She carefully lays out everything she wanted to happen and how to enact it. Dick shrieks and jumps onto the chandelier, eyes shining in delight.
Next, she sets off to get everything she needed.
Whistling, she skips down one of the many alleyways of Gotham, keeping an eye out for a nicely sized brick.
It can’t be too big or too small, she decides, frowning at a pile of bricks.
It was a nice circle, she decides, finally leaving with a brick tucked under her arm. To begin and end with a brick.
They started a chapter together, connected by a brick (literally, a brick in her hand connecting with his face), it’s only fitting that they begin the next chapter with a brick.
The day began with cuddles. Tim wrapped himself around her, breaths tickling her neck and Stephanie promptly kicks him out of bed before he decides to sleep all day.
The day progresses with a impromptu flash mob at the street mall that Tim stops by, Cass conveniently nearby to steer him directly to the center of it, Bruno Mars’s voice ringing across belting out Marry Me.
The day stops for Stephanie a minute before she gets ready to get out.
“Oh my God,” she breathes, staring at the brick in her
Three.
Dick flings his arms around her, pushing her towards the stage.
Two.
Jason tosses her the microphone, smirking.
“Go get him, tiger.”
One
“No need to fret Brown, Drake is pathetic. He would likely fall right over for this cacophony,” Damian sniffed, tilting his head in disdain, belying the sparkle in his eye.
Zero.
Steohanie inhales, steps out, and clears her throat.
“Timothy Timbo Timmie Tim-Tim Drake!” She chants into the microphone, butterflies starting to crowd her stomach.
Tim gapes at her.
“You sir, the singlehandedly biggest dork on this side of the planet. You still sleep with your Batman doll and wake up in the weirdest positions. You forget to wear a jacket and then complain about the cold. You enjoy reading the newspaper in the mornings. You pull all nighters and then complain about how tired you are. Any sane person would recognize how weird you are.”
She takes a deep breath.
“And yet, everyday I want to wake up next to your stupid self. I want to be the person you wrap yourself around at night, the one who reminds you to wear a jacket, the one who you discuss the newspaper with, the one who reminds you to get some rest. So I guess that means that I’m not sane because Timothy Drake, on the honor of this brick, will you do me the honor of making all that come true, and marry me?”
Stephanie has a second to breathe before Tim launching himself at her, lips smashing against hers. She gasps out a laugh, dropping the brick to press herself closer to him.
“Mine was still better” Tim whispered against her lips.”
“Bet.”
Dickbabs and Timsteph double date
Dick and Barbara: *both reach for the chicken at the same time and their hands touch
*looks into each others eyes* (this magic moment plays)
Tim and Steph: *both reach for the chicken at the same time and their hands touch*
Steph: Get the fuck off my chicken
Early morning alarms
At two A.M., Stephanie was awakened from an obnoxious ringing and groaned.
“Oh you’re kidding,” she grumbled. “He was doing so well.”
When her neighbor first moved in, she had been excited to see someone new. That had changed once fire alarms started ringing every night.
It was understandable if her neighbor set off the fire alarm if something dangerous actually happened but no. Her neighbor was just an awful cook.
Normally, everyone in the complex would have descended upon this person by now, but there was just a little something stopping them.
Her neighbor, lean with black hair and blue eyes, just happened to be Tim Drake, adopted son of Bruce Wayne, multi-billionaire. He could buy them all with a wave of his hand.
So, they stayed quiet and grumbled to themselves.
But Steph was tired and annoyed. She liked her sleep, and hasn’t even gotten a full nights sleep months. Her schoolwork was starting to suffer as a result, and Barbara was starting to send her looks.
This was going to stop, and soon.
So Stephanie goes grocery shopping and knocks on her neighbor’s door.
"Hi! I'm Stephanie!" She says cheerfully. Her neighbor blinked at her (darn, he was cute too). "I'm here to teach you how to cook!"
—
This is inspired by a really old timsteph fic where she meets him because of a fire alarm in the apartment building but I can’t find it for the life of me so please help :)
I'm a timbern girlie 100% but what do you think, random strangers?
Do not ship him with the other batkids/bruce they are his family. I will delete your comment.
(I feel like my posts are getting pretty negative lately so here have another poll! I love posting these, you have no idea how much I hold back!)