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writingblock101 · 3 years

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Still Insufferable (Damian Wayne x Reader)

This is a part two to Insufferable! I had an anon request this a while back and found some prompts that gave some great inspiration! Hope y’all like it! You don’t need to read part one, but it does make the transition smoother. For reference, you and Damian are 17.

Words: 2,800

Tags: @idkmanicantenglish @mayahoelland2013

Warnings: None

“Do you ever follow directions?” A familiar, condescending voice asks you from the ground.

You spot an annoyed Damian Wayne from your upside perch, staring up at you with crossed arms. You grin, a little too excited to see someone who looks so annoyed with you.

“I’m creating an extensive target practice!” You claim, gesturing with your bow to the targets down range

“By hanging upside from the rafters?” Damian raises an unimpressed eyebrow.

“You’re questioning my methods.”

“I’m not questioning it,” Damian corrects. “I’m saying it’s stupid.”

You gasp in mock offense then unhook your legs and flip to the floor.

“Your words wound me!”

“You’ll recover,” Damian says dryly.

“I thought you would approve of me making a more comprehensive training.”

“You were hanging upside down from the rafters. How is that more comprehensive?” Damian questions.

“Because I don’t always get the pretty shot with the perfect set up in the field!” You argue. “Sometimes, I’m making the shot while hanging upside down with a broken toe!”

Damian pauses, his eyes flickering to your feet.

“Is your toe broken?” He asks.

He almost sounds concerned. It’s kind of sweet.

“No,” You admit. “But what if it was?”

He blinks. The concern is gone.

“You spend too much time with Roy and Jason.”

“Well, Roy is basically raising me at this point, so yeah, kind of,” You point out.

Damian rolls his eyes.

“Mission briefing.”

“Aw, you came all the way here to tell me yourself,” You tease Damian, aware of the various intercoms around the Tower.

He scowls at you, but doesn’t dampen your good mood.

“I was the closest to the range. It made the most sense for me to come tell you.”

“No need to make excuses,” You shrug. “I get it, I’m amazing and you can’t resist being around me.”

“You’re insufferable.”

“You know, that line didn’t fool me when we were 12 and it’s still not fooling me now.”

Damian’s scowl deepens.

“Mission briefing, now.” Then he walks off before you can make another smart ass comment.

Sometimes, Damian makes it too easy. You hit the switch to pull the targets back in, figuring you’ll get your arrows later.

You’ve been an official Teen Titan for a few months now. After Roy talked you into tagging along with the team for a mission, you were hooked. The rest of the team agreed to extend an invite to you, which you happily accepted. You love the team, including Damian. Despite your constant bickering, you and Damian work well together in the field, enhancing each other’s skills.

In all honesty, you really enjoy being around Damian. While he’s a bit uptight, when he relaxes, he’s fun to be around. You’ve enjoyed getting to see the more relaxed side of Damian. Besides, it's fun to have someone who keeps up with every sarcastic remark you make, even if it includes him calling you insufferable. It’s a bit of a long shot, but you know Damian likes you more than he makes it seem he does.

You head to the main conference room of the tower and settle in for a long presentation. While the briefings are long, and rather boring, they’re in depth. You have to give Damian credit, even when things go wrong on missions, his extensive briefings prepare your team for almost every possibility and help make adaptations to the plan on the fly.

You fiddle with a pen, unscrewing it, laying out the pieces then put it back together as Damian talks. As you get more fidgety the longer the meeting goes on, Damian wordlessly slides a new pen over to you with a slightly different composition. You smile at him and busy your hands with taking part the new pen. Damian’s cheeks darken slightly, but before anyone can notice, he’s back in leader mode.

Damian pulls up the blueprint, running through everyone’s role and position for the mission.

“And Black Falcon, you’re with me, handling guards on the roof and additional security measures.”

“The dream team,” You grin with a wink.

Damian rolls his eyes and ignores your remark. Instead, he fields any questions then dismisses the team. You glance down at the file briefing in front of you then remember one last question for Damian. As a few Titans clear out, you wander to the front of the room where Damian is studying the blueprint from the presentation.

“Hey, boss man,” You wave your file at him. “This building is using the Kingsley Security system. What are your thoughts about debuting the new hacking arrows?”

Damian frowns, flipping to the page with the schematics concerning the security system.

“How effective is the firewall on the arrows?”

“If you’re worried about them tracking back to us, the arrows’ firewall should be strong enough to erase our trail.”

“Should be?” Damian raised an eyebrow.

“They’ll be fine, but I don’t like to make guarantees.”

“And why is that?”

“Because sometimes, shit happens.”

“I don’t like variables.”

“Well, Dames, I’ve got bad news for you about how life works.”

You cross your arms, leaning your hip against the table.

“I don’t like variables on my missions when lives are on the line,” Damian says, scanning over the Kingsley credentials.

“We’re connected to a computer with the highest level of security to currently exist. Even if they manage to trace back the arrows, they won’t get far.”

Jon and Colin watch you two bicker about arrows and security.

“He likes having someone to argue with way too much,” Colin mutters to Jon.

Jon nods along.

“You’re telling me. He’s not going to do anything about it though.”

Colin cracks a grin.

“He’s just gonna roll his eyes and tell her she’s insufferable.”

Jon and Colin snicker, catching Damian’s attention. He narrows his eyes at the two who sit innocently.

“Listen,” You bring Damian’s attention back to you. “It’s your mission and I’ll respect whatever you want to do, but the only way for me to improve the arrows design is to test them.”

“I’ll consider it,” Damian says.

His phone lights up with notification on the table. Your eyes dart toward the light and your eyebrows go up. Damian catches your eye and snatches his phone off the table with red cheeks.

“Am I your lock screen?” You ask with a small grin.

“You weren’t supposed to see that,” Damian shoves his phone in his back pocket.

“Really?” Your grin grows as your eyebrows move higher.

Jon and Colin watch with shit eating grins.

“Grayson set it,” Damian growls. “I haven’t bothered to change it.”

“Sure, he did,” You nod. “It’s a cute picture.”

The picture is after Damian and Bruce got into a huge argument, bad enough that Damian called Dick to get him out of the Manor. Dick figured it would be a good day to give Damian a childhood experience he missed out on and decided to take Damian to a theme park. Knowing you were in town with Jason while Roy was handling some business in Gotham, he talked Jason into bringing you. While at the park, Dick insisted you and Damian needed to try a funnel cake since neither of you had ever had one.

You and Damian decided to split one since Dick warned you they were pretty sweet. When you and Damian tried your first bites, Damian’s face instantly scrunched up which made you laugh and Dick managed to catch the moment on camera.

Damian scowls at you while you just grin.

“Don’t worry, I won’t tell anyone and ruin your reputation,” You laugh, leaving the room.

Damian scowls at you as you leave and returns his attention to collecting his files.

“Ah Dames, get that look off your face, we all know how you feel,” Jon teases.

Damian turns, scowling at Jon.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure you don’t,” Colin rolls his eyes. “We can all tell you like Y/N.”

“She’s--”

“Insufferable,” Jon finishes. “Yeah, we know. You know, just because you keep saying it, doesn’t mean it’s actually true.”

“And you know, we get it, you’re a condensing, uptight dick--” Colin starts to rattle off.

“Why does everyone assume the worst of me?” Damian scowls at Colin.

“It saves time,” He grins at his friend. “But, despite those things, you can be charming when you want to be. And if you actually acted on that charm, Y/N would agree to a date with you.”

Jon stares at Colin for a minute, looking unimpressed then turns to Damian.

“My advice is much more subtle. Stop being an ass.”

“I didn’t ask for advice,” Damian growls.

“We are aware and we also are aware that you never will,” Colin nods.

“Why not let yourself be happy, Dames?” Jon asks.

“I am happy,” Damian glares at the two of them then walks out of the room, tired of hearing their advice.

“Think he’ll listen?” Colin asks.

Jon shrugs.

“Who knows.”

. . .

Your back hits the ground but you roll to the balls of your feet, breathing hard. You tighten your grip on your bo staff, ready to lunge for another hit when you notice Damian walk into the training room. As he walks toward you, you straighten up and grab your water, figuring it’s time for a break. Damian raises his eyebrows at your bo staff.

“That’s not your normal choice in weapons,” He observes.

You shrug, taking a swing of water and ignoring your cheeks heating up. While you wanted to expand your training, you’ve seen Damian using a bo staff a lot. He seems to like them so you figured you’d give them a shot. Besides, Tim has given you a few pointers.

“Decided to try something new,” You say casually.

Damian quirks an eyebrow, but says nothing else.

“I’ve been thinking--” He starts.

“A dangerous pastime,” You nod solemnly.

Damian glares at you but continues, as if he didn’t hear your sarcastic comment.

“We have a strong enough firewall on the computer in the Tower that if your arrows malfunctioned, we could detect and fight a security breach.”

“So, I can bring them on the mission?” You finish.

“Yes.”

“Sweet!” You grin, pumping your fist.

Damian rolls his eyes again at your celebration, but you can see him trying not to smile. He turns to leave, but you look back at the bo staff you were training with.

“Wait! Damian!” You call.

He turns, looking at you with raised eyebrows.

“You’re better with a bo staff than I am,” You admit. “Wanna help me out?”

Damian’s eyes flicker between you and the bo staff. You see a small smile fighting its way onto his face.

“I’ll change into something more suiting for training.”

You grin, spinning the staff around you then go into a mock solute.

“Yes, commander.”

Damian rolls his eyes again, but leaves to change.

. . .

You swing your staff up hard, but Damian blocks it and swipes at your legs with a low kick. Grinning as he falls into the expected move, you flip your staff around and hit Damian’s side. He grunts and moves again, this time, landing a hard blow to your arm. You grimace at the force, but swing your staff around again and manage to knock Damian’s legs out from under him with a move he showed you.

Damian hits the ground hard with a grunt, but instead of rolling to his feet for another hit, he lays on the ground, looking a little dazed.

“I got it!” You cheered as Damian sits up, watching you with a small smile.

“Drive your hips more so the power doesn’t come from your arms as much,” He instructs.

“You know, with all the archery I do,” You flex a muscular arm. “I’m pretty sure my arms are stronger than my hips at this point.”

Damian rolls his eyes as he pushes himself to his feet. You swear you sees his eyes lingering on your flexed arm.

“Basic anatomy,” He claims.

“Right, your definition of “basic” and a normal person’s is pretty different.”

Damian raises an eyebrow at you.

“How do you mean?”

You narrow your eyes.

“You know what I mean.”

“I don’t,” But the slow start of a shit eating grin on his face tells you Damian knows how you meant that statement.

You groan, throwing your hands up.

“Okay, fine, Wayne. I’ll give it to you, you’re pretty smart.”

“Am I now?” Damian full on grins, making your heart flutter.

You roll your eyes again, despite your raised heart rate.

“I’m not going to say it again.”

“I didn’t think you would. It doesn’t change the truth.”

You sigh, shaking your head.

“Why do I still like you, knowing you’re a total asshole?” You question as you walk toward your water.

Damian freezes for a moment, your words slowly mulling over in his head. Before he can say anything else, his watch beeps. Damian looks down at it with a scowl.

“Duty calls?” You ask, handing Damian his water.

He looks up from the notification and nods.

“Get dressed, we leave in ten minutes.”

. . .

Following your normal post mission tradition, you relax on the roof with a few boxes of take out. You dig into your box of fried rice, enjoying the view as your legs dangle over the edge of the huge tower. The roof access door opens and someone sits next to you but you don’t have to turn to see who. Wordlessly, you hold out Damian’s vegetarian Lo Mein which you took the courtesy to grab while he showered after the mission.

“Your arrows worked,” Damian comments, accepting the box from you and digging in with his own chopsticks.

“Mmhm,” You hum with a smirk. “Told you.”

Damian rolls his eyes.

“Of course you wouldn’t be able to resist making a childish remark.”

You grin, nudging Damian’s shoulder.

“You knew I already knew the arrows worked. You just wanted to hear me say it.”

“I absolutely did not.”

“Sure you didn’t. I’m irresistible.”

“You’re insufferable,” Damian corrects.

“I still don’t believe that line.”

“Your belief does not change the truth.”

You laugh, leaning against Damian as you both continue eating, enjoying the view and each other’s company. After the first time Damian joined you on the roof, it became both of your traditions to enjoy your post mission meals together. Later, you would rejoin the team for game night or movie night, but for now, you two enjoy your quiet meals and unwind peacefully.

Once your meals are finished and the boxes are discarded to the side, you scoot closer to Damian, resting your head on his shoulder. He slowly places a hand on your knee, seeming a bit uncertain. You smile to yourself and squeeze his arm, scooting a little closer to encourage him. He leans into you, seeming more relaxed by the affection.

“You know,” You finally say after a few minutes of silently watching the sun set. “I turned out liking you a lot more than I originally planned.”

“How much did you intend to like me?” Damian asks.

You feel him starting to go stiff.

“Well, given you insulted me when I first met you,” You point out with a shrug. “I didn’t expect to like you very much.”

“And now?” Damian asks hesitantly.

You lift your head from Damian’s shoulder to look at him, your noses inches away.

“Now, you’re pretty alright,” You tease, admiring his pretty green eyes.

Damian rolls his eyes with a small laugh.

“Just alright?” He asks, squeezing your knee lightly.

“Well,” You shrug again, feeling your heart pound. “Maybe a little more than alright.”

You stare at each other for a long moment until Damian’s eyes flicker to your lips. Here goes nothing. Before you can bring yourself to regret, you close the small distance between each other and press your lips to his. He’s hesitant for a moment, stiff against you. Before you can pull away, Damian’s fingers sink into your hair, pulling you closer as he kisses you back.

You melt into the kiss and grip his shirt tightly. As he shifts his head to deepen the kiss, a voice yells from behind you:

“It’s about time!”

You and Damian jump apart, still holding a hand on each other to see Jon standing by the roof access door. Damian scowls at him while Jon grins like he’s just won the lottery.

“You have no idea how annoying it was so watch you two pretend like you don’t like each other,” Jon rolls his eyes. “Come on, we’re starting game night.”

He disappears back through the door as you look back at Damian.

“Well, duty calls,” You joke, sliding off the ledge.

Damian turns, catches your wrist, and tugs you back to him.

“They can wait,” He mutters to you, kissing you again.

You happily melt into the kiss, your hands on Damian’s chest as his hands slide to your hips.

“Am I still insufferable?” You tease against Damian’s lips.

He smirks, standing to his feet and pulling you close by your waist.

“Yes,” He kisses you again.

I’ve been writing things as I get inspiration. I think I’ll be compiling a prompt lists soon because I have some request... They are really big ideas and I don’t think I can take on any projects that big right now. I hope you enjoyed!

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astyle-alex · 3 years

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[Fanfic] Museum Mishap | the BatFam

Museum Mishap | Chapter 5/6

Fandom: the DC Universe, Batman & co. Pairings: Jay x Tim Characters: Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson Rating: Gen Audiences Warnings: None

Total Word Count: 38,590

Summary:

Middle-School Tim Drake is on a field trip to the Science Museum, but with a WE exhibition of top-secret new technologies being staged in the basement, Tim separates from his classmates and breaks into the staff-only areas by using the skills he's developed over years of stalking Batman and Robin.

Current-Robin Jason Todd catches him in the act, but he's not there to confront Tim for trespassing or truancy - he's there because there's a rumor on the street that Tim Drake knows Batman's real name. And the rumor's gaining ground, quick, drawing in the wrong kind of attention.

When a Drug-Lord decides to take the rumor seriously enough to kidnap the little genius, Jason jumps into the crossfire. It all goes downhill from there. Fast.

(Jason is 14, Tim is 12)

|| Read on Ao3 | Read on FF.net | Follow my updates on Patreon ||

Museum Mishap Chapter 5: Checking Up

Dick is the first to notice something’s different about Jason.

Which is fair, because even though Bruce is the first person to see Jason after he wakes up on Saturday, a full 27 hours after being rescued from Sabini (ten of which he’d spent sleeping peacefully in his own bed instead of the Cave’s infirmary) – and even though Alfred is the first person to talk to him after he comes downstairs for breakfast – the bulk of what is actually noticeably different about Jason is aimed directly at Dick.

Literally.

Because Jason is starting.

At Dick.

From across his plate of scrambled eggs and sausage and toast piled high with strawberry preserves instead of the peach marmalade Dick likes and has on his own plate, Jason is staring. At Dick. Directly.

He’s not even glaring at him, he’s just… watching.

Which actually makes Dick more self-conscious than if Jason had been glaring, makes him think he’s done something wrong. Something especially wrong.

Dick had never asked for a little brother, and to be perfectly honest he could admit that he hadn’t exactly been very nice to the one he’d acquired unexpectedly. While he had concrete and valid reasons to be pissed at Bruce for how he’d handled things, Dick wasn’t quite self-centered enough to miss how he hadn’t done right by Jason either.

He’d screwed up their relationship in the beginning and now he spent most of his time trying to avoid making it worse. Which meant most simply that he spent most of his time straight up avoiding it…

The longest span of time Dick had spent alone in a room with Jason since storming off to California a few weeks before his sixteenth birthday – to go be Robin with people who appreciated him and his skill and his right to wear the R, because it was his and always would be – was about the length of a Star Wars movie. The longest they’d spent together without such a specific and effective distraction was about twenty minutes.

In which Alfred usually checked in on them halfway through.

Because Jason does deserve the R.

And he’s always resented that the older brother he’d never asked for thought he didn’t.

Which isn’t exactly true, but Dick has never been able to explain that before Jason – brilliantly observant, woefully astute, and brutally willing to cut to the quick as he was – said something that made Dick get defensive. Which is when the yelling always started.

And the quiet moments in between the yelling had always been punctuated by glaring.

But now Jason is staring – and distinctly not glaring – and Dick doesn’t know what he did, or what he should do now. So, he sits in silence and plays with his eggs and worries.

Because something is different about Jason this morning, and he doesn’t know why – or what it has to do with him. Or what Jason thinks it has to do with him.

Because if Jason’s pissed with him for not getting to him quicker last night, for not jumping in earlier – early enough to stop Sabini from breaking his leg perhaps – then Jason would already be yelling. But he’s not. He’s staring.

And Dick doesn’t know what to do.

“Do you have a driver’s license?”

Dick is so startled by the question he nearly drops his fork.

Actually, he does drop it. He just manages to catch it before it skitters off the counter.

“B won’t let me in the Cave with my leg and Alf won’t let me have the keys to any cars topside until I’m legal,” Jason explains – without explaining anything.

“Yeah, I’ve got my license.”

Dicks voice doesn’t squeak or waver. He’s moderately certain that some sort of magic or robotic voice replacement tech is behind the phenomenon. Or maybe his Robin conditioning is finally proving useful outside of the dark allies where his calm could comfort victims.

Jason nods. He’s still staring.

But now he’s squinting, evaluative. Not quite a glare, but closer.

“Cool. Can you drive me somewhere after breakfast?”

Dick nods. He decides not to ask to ask why Jason isn’t asking Alfred to drive him.

He also decides not to ask where Jason wants to go until they’re already in the car.

They don’t speak again until after Dick pulls into the circle at the end of the Drake Estate’s mile-long driveway, and even then, it’s just a gruff C’mon to hurry Dick along while Jason hauls himself out of the car on his own.

Dick is slightly distracted as he cuts the engine. He nods to Jason – who’s paying him zero attention – as he marvels openly at the fact that they do, apparently, have neighbors.

The Drake mansion isn’t quite a massive or effortlessly grand as Wayne Manor, but it’s a decently imposing imitation. There’s wealth here, excess. And no hint of the soft touch that Alfred has to bring a human element into the aching chill of life with money.

Dick wants to ask what they’re doing here, of all places, but Jason is focused.

It’s a feat for Jason to wrestle his crutches out of the car and limp his way up the wide steps of the ostentation front stair, but he manages. He does it without even making Dick feel terrible about not offering to help – though he knows if he did offer, Jason’s only response would be to curse and try to whack him with the pointy end of his crutches.

Dick follows silently up the stairs after him and waits as Jason rings the doorbell impatiently, pressing it again after only a few seconds of silence.

He’s not quite scowling at the Drakes’ front door, but he’s not smiling either. Whatever he’s thinking about is serious enough to warrant asking Dick for help instead of Alfred. Dick is definitely concerned by that, but there a hopeful anxiousness twisting in him too.

Because Jason needed help, and he asked Dick to provide it.

It’s not much, but it’s something.

Jason’s leaning on the doorbell again when Dick hears a shuffling inside that indicates someone coming to check the matter. Dick hopes it’s not an elderly butler – Alfred moves around pretty well for his age, but it’s a big house and it takes even him a minute to get to the door on the bizarre occasion Wayne Manor has unexpected security-approved visitors.

The Drakes’ equivalent can’t possibly be as light-footed or quick and Dick wants to tell Jason that it’s not whoever’s fault that it takes a while getting from one end of a mansion to the other on a Saturday morning for an unanticipated guest.

There’s the sound of the lock being turned, but the door doesn’t open immediately.

Jason is about to lean on the bell again – and Dick is seriously considering how counter-productive it will be to stop him from being overly rude – when the knob finally spins and the massive solid-wood structure sweeps inward.

Dick plasters a smile on his face and –

It’s the kid from Thursday night.

Dick’s whole being freezes.

It’s the kid that took a beating because Sabini thought he knew something about Batman.

Dick is stuck in a sudden mental rut of wondering why this kid – and Dick know he’s a tough one, he’s seen it, but he’s a head shorter than Jason and probably weighs as much as Dick’s leg and he’s just survived a torturous kidnapping and should be on bedrest with soup and blankets and stuffed animals – why this kid is answering his own door.

Especially in a house like this. His family is clearly rich beyond reason and could have a flurry of staff to care for the household’s daily needs and to fawn sweetly over the poor injured young master. So why is he answering the door?

When his door costs as much as the entire Trailer the Flying Graysons called home in Haly’s Circus. When there are still bruises on his face where Sabini’s fingers gripped him that haven’t quite gone ugly and greenish from healing. When the butterfly bandage on his cheek is still the only thing holding the skin together beneath the antiseptic goo.

Jason’s brain is clearly doing the same acrobatics as Dicks, asking questions it’s not really keen on getting answered because the answers can’t be good, but Jason recovers faster.

Which is good because the Drake boy – Timmy, Dick remembers, except no, that’s just what Jason called him, he introduced himself as Tim in his brief moment of lucidity on Friday morning – is looking between the pair on his doorstep like one of the rescue dogs Dick remembers Haly bringing into the circus fold on their first days of being treated well.

They were cautious and skittish and quick to shy away, but also a little bit awed by the care and attention being paid to them – slightly overwhelmed to say the least. And Tim Drake is clearly in a similar state of mind.

Dick is frozen on the doorstep.

Tim is frozen in the doorway.

Jason falters too, but only for a moment. Then he’s using his crutches to nudge Tim out of the way, so he can swing himself through the door and into the Drakes’ imposing foyer.

Dick follows.

Tim remembers to close the door – and lock it too, with a sturdy deadbolt that Dick knows will provide actual security – and then shuffles after Dick and Jason.

Silent on his feet – impressive, given the floppy sneakers he’s wearing – Tim allows Jason to lead the way through the mansion’s sprawl to its kitchen. Tim is watching Jason’s back as he swings forward on his crutches, which gives Dick time to look around the mansion as they walk. He knows Jason’s scoping the place out too, and he’s glad Jason can manage it with that subtle street-wise skill he’s got ingrained. Dick could probably be subtle – he was trained by Batman – but he’s finding it hard to rein in the reaction he’s having to the place.

It’s absolutely sterile here.

More like a museum than like a house.

Nothing looks soft, or like it’s meant for people to sit on, and the few chairs and cushions Dick has clocked as they move through the sprawl don’t look like anyone has ever used them. There’s not a speck of dust, but honestly that just makes it worse. There are people that come through here, in order to clean it at least, but nobody lives here.

“What’re you saying about your face,” Jason asks bluntly when he stumbles upon the masterwork that is the Drake kitchen. Dick can tell that finding the kitchen has help Jason relax a little, that being in a place that’s meant to be sterile has helped at least as much as the prospect of diving into the soothing rhythm of cooking, but Tim doesn’t pick up on Jason’s new degree of ease and relax himself. If anything, he tenses more.

“I’m going to say that I tried to launch a rocket in the back yard and it blew up in my face,” Tim explains. He watches as Jason moves to investigate his fridge.

He notes when Jason stiffens, flinches as he realizes what he just said to prompt it, and he whips his head around when Dick is the one to speak up about it. “You’re ‘going to say’?”

Dick knows the way he blurted it in aching disbelief is rude. Not calm. Not helpful.

But he’s lost sensation in his limbs and his stomach is still sinking towards the center of the earth at supersonic speeds.

They had dropped Tim back into his bed at 2pm on Friday afternoon, once Bruce had convinced Alfred that he was stable and well on his way to healing. That was almost 20 hours ago. Dick’s stomach churns as he realizes that no one’s been to check on him in almost a full day.

Tim survived a brutal beating, and he’s been dealing with the mental fallout of his kidnapping – not to mention the physical aspects of his recovery – entirely alone.

Dick is staring at Tim, wide-eyed and worried, and he knows it isn’t helping as Tim looks down and toes at the marble floor.

“Mrs. Simz doesn’t work on Fridays,” he mumbles. “She thinks I spend Friday nights with my school’s chess club.”

Jason snorts. “Of course, she does. That sounds perfectly reasonable.”

He pauses. Anyone but Dick probably wouldn’t be able to catch the way he steels himself and forces down a mix of rage and worry before he asks lightly, “Hey, kid, you got any flour hiding in this joint? Baking soda?”

“Why?”

“I’m gonna make pancakes, obviously,” Jason replies, shouldering open the fridge and pulling out milk and eggs. He spreads his haul on the island and shoots Dick a look that he hopes means that he should start investigating the Drake cabinets for mixing bowls and a griddle and such. Because that’s what Dick starts doing.

“Pancakes?”

“Yeah, they’re kinda like pizza – you eat them,” Jason replies, a gruff amusement in his voice that tells Dick there’s some sort of inside joke involved.

Dick wants to think that there’s no part of the joke where he should be legitimately concerned that Tim doesn’t eat, but he also remembers how easy it was to pick the kid up when they rescued him. Sure, he’s only twelve, but Dick is fairly certain that he weighed at least twice what Tim does when he was twelve. Comparing him to Jason – even the emaciated twelve year old Jason that had first been brought to the Manor – would be too tragic to let him keep the smile on his face, so Dick consciously fights the urge.

Tim jumps in to help direct Dick and Jason around his kitchen, Tim acting as Jason’s legs while Jason barks orders. Dick didn’t know Jason could cook, but he’s not as surprised as he thought he’d be – even when Jason whips out the fancy tricks like cracking the eggs one-handed and twirling his spatula as he times the flips perfectly.

Butter and syrup appear on the island as Dick tries to help put the finishing touches on their meal. It’s been over an hour since breakfast, so Dick can definitely eat – and he knows Jason is probably already starving. Tim is looking at the looming stack of pancakes warily, however, and Dick is pleased with himself for not shooting Jason a worried look.

It gets even harder to resist when they actually settle down to eat and Tim expends a painstaking amount of effort on arranging the careful stack of pancakes on his plate instead of making any move to dig in.

“So, Timmy,” Jason says around a mouthful of pancakes, “Find any cool new toys since you’ve been home playin’ with your rocket?”

Both confused, Dick and Tim look blankly at Jason – who rolls his eyes. Then he taps his ear and makes a wide gesture about the kitchen. He’s asking if Tim’s found any Bat bugs.

Dick knows Batman must’ve left some – Tim was suspected of knowing his secrets for a reason, after all, and Bruce would certainly want to keep tabs on any future developments that might potentially occur. What Dick does not know is why Jason’s asking Tim if he found any listening devices hidden in his home – why he’s referencing the plausible option so casually, so openly. Unless… unless Tim knows.

Scandalized, Tim looks between Jason and Dick – redness creeping up his neck until his ears are bright ruby – and then stares down at his pancakes. He nods.

Like he’s pulling teeth, Jason waits a beat to make sure Tim is still alive and then asks with the same casual air, “Find any in here?”

This time, Tim shakes his head, still staring resolutely at his pancakes – and still making no move to actually eat them.

Jason nods, satisfied.

Tim waits, but Jason doesn’t say anything else.

Eventually, peeks up. Looks at Jason. Waits.

Then he slowly, sheepishly turns his head to look at Dick. He’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, for the accusations and yelling to start. Tim does know their secret, and he expects to be in serious trouble for it.

Jason levels his own look at Dick, daring him to break the tenuous trust they’ve developed in the last few hours by voicing any sort chastisement.

When they’d first brought Jason and Tim back to the Cave, Batman had been on Jason about getting to the truth of the rumors around Tim – to the point of absurdity, considering that there were two traumatized and injured kids to care for, considering that Jason himself was being questioned before Batman would give his broken leg the medical attention it needed…

Dick had spoken up in defense of Jason – asserting his own opinion that Tim was ignorant of the secret that got him wrapped up in this mess – mostly because he was pissed at Bruce for being so callous. Dick knew that Bruce cared, that he cared so much he buried all of his feelings deep beneath an impenetrable layer of cold practicality so he could deal with the pragmatic details of resolving the situation.

But it was really hard to remember that he cared when it felt more like he wanted answers in his own interrogation rather than to help the adopted son he’d just rescued from a drug-lord who’d been asking the same questions.

But Dick had defended Jason’s stand against Bruce.

At the time, he hadn’t realized Jason was lying – that Bruce honestly did have a valid reason to worry about Tim’s ability to threaten Batman’s secrets. He knew Jason wasn’t being entirely honest, but he’d brushed it off as embarrassment at getting caught and needing rescue.

Knowing what he does now, that Tim is aware of much more than he should be, Dick isn’t certain he would’ve made the same call. On the one hand, he wants to trust his brother’s judgement – to stay focused on Tim as a victim rather than a threat – but he also feels the urge to trust his mentor’s trend of caution, because if Tim threatens Bruce’s secrets he’s also threatening Dick’s. And Jason’s. And possibly Barbara, and the Titans, and any other mask they’ve ever worked with… Tim could be very dangerous if Jason’s wrong about trusting him.

But Tim is waiting to be yelled at – waiting to face the good guys’ wrath for simply being clever. And Dick had seen the R on Tim’s sweater. He’s a fan, and he’s been clever, and he’d taken one hell of a beating for a twelve year old kid to be expected to handle.

And he hadn’t talked.

It was more than Dick would’ve expected from most grown-ups. It was as much or even more than he’d expect from adults trained to withstand interrogation.

If Dick needed proof that Tim wasn’t a threat, that was it.

Tim was still staring at him – waiting for his anger. Waiting to be punished.

Jason was staring too – waiting for a reason to get angry himself.

Resolved to let Tim continue to fly under Batman’s radar, Dick doesn’t say anything. He just takes another bite of his pancakes. The bite goes down easier than he expects, validation that his gut trusts Tim on a level beyond instinctual. Something more like kinship.

Tim keeps staring – like he doesn’t quite recognize what it means that Dick is just going on with eating like a major secret affecting both of their lives hasn’t just been exposed – but Jason relaxes. He even flashes Dick what could pass for a smile.

It makes Dick feel like he’s made the right decision all over again.

He’s got very little good history with Jason, but he’s working on his own issues and he thinks that, just maybe, he and Jason can work with this – can use Tim’s hush-hush existence as a bit of common ground to try standing by each other instead of against each other.

Tim is still staring, though.

Still waiting, still worried, still convinced that he’s in trouble.

“Pancakes not to your liking, Tim?” Dick asks, flashing him a grin. It’s not the dazzling, thousand-watt smile that’s always made him shine as a media darling, but it’s still bright and teasing enough to startle Tim. And genuine.

Jason growls before Tim recovers, retorting, “Hey, my pancakes are fantastic, asshole.”

Dick gives a shrug, his smiling building as he feels out Jason’s grumble and realizes that there’s almost no real malice in it – none of the gritty defensiveness he’s used to from Jason.

“They’re, um, great,” Tim replies in a squeak.

With another snort, Jason says, “You haven’t even tried them yet.”

He reaches across the island and swoops a smear of butter onto Tim’s topmost pancake, giving the terrified youngster a mild heart attack. He pushes the syrup across the table with his fork – it’s good stuff, real maple in a ceramic jug – until it clicks pointedly against Tim’s plate.

“Eat.”

Tim picks up his fork, obedient but still anxious and pushes a few bites around before he finally picks one up and forces it into his mouth and down his throat.

Watching as Tim swallows and waiting until it looks like he might take another bite of his own volition, Jason says, “You gotta relax, Timmers. We’re the frickin good guys.”

Dick gives a supportive smile as Tim forces himself to nod.

His eyes jump guiltily to Dick for a moment but then he settles and takes another bite of his pancakes. This time he looks much less like he wants to throw the food back up immediately.

“How’s, um, how’s your leg,” Tim asks. Guilty, which makes Dick’s lungs tighten, but at least he’s speaking up – which means he might be able to be convinced he’s not at fault.

“It’s good,” Jason replies with a shrug. “I’ve gotta stay off it completely for the next week, and I’m benched for the next three, at least, but it doesn’t hurt anymore.”

Dick snorts. “You’re supposed to stay off it for three weeks,” Dick counters automatically. He lets himself fall into older-brother over-dive to add, “And B wants to keep you benched for the next two months. Alf might actually put you in a coma if he sees you trying to go down to the Cave before the cast comes off.”

With a shrug, Jason says, “So like two weeks and we call it even.”

Dick tries to claw back the sigh that’s threatening to cut off all his air.

“It was a pretty bad break,” Tim pipes up. He looks slightly guilt-ridden, but he forges on to add, “But it was direct contact to the bone, instead of to a joint, and I’m guessing it was a stable, simple tibia fracture – no skin penetration or muscle tears – and it was either transverse or very slightly oblique, so it should heal cleanly.”

“Not if he bungs it up by trying to do cartwheels on it too quickly,” Dick counters.

“I’m gonna leave the cartwheeling to you, Dickiebird,” Jason replies with a chuckle that’s warm and teasing and so much nicer than the conversations he’s used to having with Jason.

It almost sounds like they’re just talking about your average sports injury, and Tim even joins in a few more times as the discussion shifts to Dick and his penchant for cartwheeling down the long halls of Wayne Manor. Tim’s a fan of the Flying Graysons, and after a little figuring, Dick actually remembers meeting him before – before the show for a picture and a hug and a somersault promise, before Zucco, before his parents fell… before life got so complicated.

Dick and Jason and Tim stay gathered around the island in the Drakes’ kitchen until Tim has completely finished his plate of pancakes without needing to have Jason force him through each bite. And they stay an hour after they’ve cleaned up, and an hour after that too.

They stay until Alfred sends Dick a text to warn him that Bruce is getting antsy with their absence, antsy enough to start wondering where they’ve gone.

Tim looks sad as they start gearing up to head back to the Manor, but Jason assures him that they’ll be back tomorrow – and after school on Monday, assuming Tim actually goes to school on Monday. Neither vigilante would blame him if he wanted to take a day off.

“Why?”

“Because you got beat up by a drug-lord,” Jason told him with a gruff, but affectionate exasperation Dick can hardly believe he’s hearing from the ill-tempered teenager, “That totally warrants a fucking vacation day or two.”

Tim shakes his head. “No, I mean why are you gonna come here? Why’re you here at all, if I’m not in trouble for… you know.” He mumbles through most of the words, falling back into the timid little thing he was when he first saw Dick and Jason standing at his door.

It’s only now that Dick realizes how much he’d managed to come out of that shell.

“We’re checking up on you, baby bird,” Jason huffs, “Duh.”

“But why?”

Tim stands there like the question is perfectly innocent, like it’s not one of the most heartbreaking thing Dick has ever been asked.

If Jason didn’t have a broken leg and crutches to wrestle with, Dick is sure that Tim would be trapped under Jason’s arm getting his hair mussed beyond all possible repair. As it stands, Jason looks halfway to smacking Tim with one of his crutches.

Or smacking whoever made him feel like his current state of being is somehow one that is in any way an acceptable situation for a child.

But Dick smiles and slings an arm around Jason’s shoulders.

“Because we’re Robins,” he says, promising, “And that’s what we do.”

There’s a pause.

And then Tim nods, smiling back in a way that makes Dick’s limbs feel gooey as he goes all warm and fuzzy. He can feel Jason lean into his side, can see that he’s smiling too – not as broadly as Dick is, but the expression is just as genuine. A bit surprised, perhaps, but happy.

The door closes behind them and Jason clambers into his side of the car without beating Dick with his crutches for helping. The drive back to the Manor is just as quick as the one away from it this morning, but not as quiet.

The Robins get themselves on a united platform about having gone to visit Drake as civilians – he’d recognized Jason as a Wayne and they’d gone to commiserate with Jason as a fellow victim of random, rumor fueled violence. They explain again to Bruce that Tim doesn’t know anything about Batman and latch onto Alfred’s concern that the boy’s parents are still out of the country. The Robins volunteer to go over and check on him tomorrow.

At Alfred’s insistence, they agree to spend most of the day there, and several days next week – and bring over some of Alfred’s amazing, high-nutrition cooking.

With all three of them set against Bruce in this, he relents to giving full approval to their plan – assuming that Nightwing patrols with Batman for the next three weeks while Robin remains obediently on bedrest.

The butler sides with Bruce on that one, but he gives the boys a wink behind Bruce’s back and it makes Dick get that warm and fuzzy glow again.

He’s halfway giddy all through that night’s patrol.

Batman notices.

But Dick doesn’t explain when he’s asked about it.

He just says that he and Jason are finally seeing eye to eye about what it means to hero in Gotham, to be Robin… to be a good Robin.

He smiles into the sunrise after a long night of beating up petty thugs on Gotham’s street corners – of looking into and utterly quashing any remaining rumors that Timothy Drake has any information on Batman. And maybe the throws a few extra flips into the maneuvers that carry him from rooftop to rooftop of Gotham’s city skyline.

It’s a beautiful day and Dick resolves to make the most of the chances he’s been given – however unfortunate the circumstances around them. The world is already a slightly better place, and Dick is determined to make it more so, bit by bit.

Because we’re Robins. And that’s what we do.

|| Read on Ao3 | Read on FF.net | Follow my updates on Patreon ||

#BatFam #Batman #Batman & Robin #Jay x Tim #Jason Todd #Jason Todd x Tim Drake #Tim Drake #Dick Grayson

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zombiesbecrazy · 5 years

Text

flipped and backwards

Summary: Oh, goody. It was opposite day.

AO3

It was still early as far as vigilante hours went, sun still pouring in through the face of the Clocktower and while Barbara was at her computer, she was more focused on the online shopping that she was doing for the holidays than on anything running through her screens. There was only one operative currently in the field and he was just doing some standard covert recon in on of the warehouses and didn’t need active monitoring because it was pretty boring stuff. Hide in vent. Watch from vent. Crawl back out of vent. File report.

She was weighing the difference between two difference white noise machines that her dad had said he was interested in when a voice chirped up over the comms, distracting her from her Amazon cart. "Uhh, Oracle?"

"Go ahead." Dick was supposed to be radio silent, hiding out while overlooking an abandoned warehouse factory floor, a suspected hub for some arms dealers that had been beginning to pop up through the city but it was still watch and observe only. Barbara wasn’t overly concerned about him breaking the protocol, waiting in silence was never the strongest of his skills, but he didn’t usually take unnecessary risks like that.

"How many goons did you say were in this building?" His voice was a little tinny, like it was bouncing off the walls of the shaft he was tucked away in.

"Eight."

There was a moment of shifting on Dick’s end of the line and then a pause. "And how sure are you of that number?"

Barbara frowned at the question but pulled up the cameras on the screen and looked it over quickly and double checked her previous work. "One hundred percent. I’m counting the signatures on the infrared filter as we speak. Nine warm bodies and that includes you."

"Thought so." There was a sigh and then some more shifting that made more noise than she liked to hear over the comms when someone was trying to be stealthy and she was about to comment on the amount of noise that he was making before he said, "In that case, we have a different problem because I seem to be extremely compromised."

"How so?" Barbara was pulling up the schematics of the warehouse of the building so that she could get a better look at the path that Dick had taken. Everything looked normal.

"Because I see about 50 goons."

That certainly caught her attention and made her fingers pause on the keys and turned to a different view on her screen, to the camera on the opposite side of the building. “Maybe there is something wrong with my cameras? Or robots? Let me flip to…” Barbara trailed off as she processed the image on the screen in front of her. “Nightwing, why the hell are you not in the air vent?”

She watched Dick on her screen, hanging by his fingertips from the vent and dangling towards the ground, somehow freeze and stop in mid swing. “I am?”

“You aren’t, because I can see you on my screen, clinging to the outside of it.” Barbara sat up straighter and pulled her headset on so it was easier to direct him. He was behind some shelves but it was only a matter of time before he was noticed. “Get back in before they see you.”

“But I am in the vent!?” Dick sounded genuinely confused and there was a slip of panic entering into his voice which was understandable because while she didn’t know what had happened and with what but Dick was clearly on some sort of hallucinogenic drug or magic or something if he was completely unaware of his actual surroundings like that.

“I’m switching to your mask lens cam.” She clicked one of the views on her screen and what showed up was similar to what she had seen on her surveillance screen, just from a different and more upside down angle which meshed with the position that Dick’s head seemed to be in. “I can confirm that you are absolutely not in the vent, that there are only eight guys in the room and whatever is happening to you is absolutely in your own head.” There was movement on the far screen, one of the men pushing a cart in Dick’s general direction. He wasn’t close, but the line of sight was going to be perfectly clear and there was no way that he wouldn’t be seen. “Get in the vent, Dick. Now.”

“How do you suggest I get back in the vent when I think I’m already in there?” snapped Dick, clearly frustrated. He was quickly running out of time, even for if he was at full cognitive ability.

“Maybe close your eyes and go by fee… crap.” She could see the people in the warehouse turn running towards where Dick was hanging. The cart guy must have called out when he had seen him.. “You’ve been spotted.”

“Suggestions? Because I’m seeing at least six times the amount of people compared to what you say is real and I’m not trusting my lay of the land.”

“Remember when we were kids and B would have one of us be blindfolded and the other would give directions while we sparred against him? To practice fighting in the dark?” Dick’s POV camera nodded up and down, just a fraction, but enough to notice that he agreed. “It’s just like that. Lucky for you, I am amazing at that. Now drop down.”

“I am down!”

“Then trying jumping up?” she suggested and Dick made a rather Damian sounding tongue click, but Barbara could see him land on the floor on the monitors. Oh, goody. It was opposite day.

“Okay, this is weird," he muttered. "I felt myself land but it looks like I’m walking on the ceiling.” Dick was on his feet, and while he wasn’t swaying or anything, it looked like he was slightly off in his own body which was an unnatural thing for him. “It’s like I’m in a really crappy House of Mirrors. These aren’t Joker’s men, right?”

“No connection.” This appeared to be Copplepot operation so far, possibly Falcone, but nothing Joker related. “Alright, incoming at two o’clock, left jab and the right knee to the groin in three, two, one.”

And then Dick did exactly what she said but with the directions reversed and got clocked in the face as a result. Barbara winced sympathetically as his head snapped back from being caught unaware, but he recovered fast, instinctively he grabbing the guy, flipping him over his shoulder and stomping on his nose, just hard enough to break the joint. He rubbed his jaw carefully, opening and closing it a couple times. “You and I have very different ideas of what two o’clock is, O.”

“Sorry. You are fully backwards, not just up and down. I’ll adjust to how you would be seeing it.” It would be easier for her to translate behind the scenes than to try and have him to it while is both in a fight and compromised, because even if he was just aware of seeing things wrong, the fact that he had climbed out of the vent without knowing it in the first place suggested that there were other complications. They were both just lucky that he was still able to fight with a little guidance. “Three o’clock, jump and kick” She watched as Dick crouched and leg swept the incoming goon on his left. “There you go,” she chuckled. It was like using VR goggles and she was playing Mortal Kombat and it was sort of fun now that she had figured out the combo moves. “Alright. Left stick, swing upwards fast at mid speed.” Crack. “Perfect. Right roundhouse kick, now!” Whump. Barbara caught the look on Dick’s face on one of the other screens and he was grinning, big and bright, and she was glad to see that they were both having fun even if it was under strange circumstances.

Far too quickly the last guy was down, leaving Dick as the only one standing in the warehouse, breathing heavily with a bruise forming on his chin, but otherwise unharmed and Barbara laughing, trying to figure out how to score their fight XP.

“Good job, Boy Wonder. How are you holding up?”

“Pretty good. Thirsty. A little disoriented. I still see more dudes and think I’m on the roof, so yeah. Do you have a plan for me now?”

“Do I have a plan for you?” They both laughed because of course she, the planniest of planners, had a plan. “I have Red Robin waiting for you outside with the bike. He’s going to drive you back to the Cave for drug testing because something is clearly up.” She directed him towards the door of the warehouse, where Tim was waiting patiently on the other side. Dick carefully climbs behind Tim and wrapped his arms around him tight.

“Maybe you can swing by later once they have you all fixed up? I can give you all sorts of other kinds of direction that I’m good at.” Barbara whispered over the comm and then winked as if he could see her, and giggled because she saw him wink back right after. Still in sync.

“Only if you are willing to kiss my boo boo better. This bruise is at least 60% your fault.”

“See you soon, sweetie.”

#whumptober2019 #no.22 #barbara gordon #dick grayson #dickbabs #but only a little #whumptober is kicking my ass

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robinmagik · 6 years

Text

Not A Minute Wasted

A/N: I spent a whole fucking nite writing this because Bruce is like hard for me to write so I’m sorry if this sounds weird? Anyway, if this gets enough likes and reblogs I’ll write a second part to this. I know some people don’t like a huge age difference but I like it when it’s between two concenting adults. So WARNINGS; a huge? age gap (the reader is 23 and Bruce is 38) and some cursing.

Bruce Wayne x reader

Summary: Reader has a on and off relationship with Bruce. They make up once again and she finds out his deepest darkest secret. [It’s a cute story tbh lmao]

PART TWO PART THREE FINAL

Y/n is young, intelligent, and beautiful in her own way and that is what attracted many people to her. Sure, she may not be intelligent like with a high IQ or was exceedingly perfect at all subject academically but she has her own spark of intelligence, her own way of thinking wether it was artistically or logical. It’s what made her her and that is what attracted Bruce Wayne to her.

The tabloids had a field trip about the fact that a thirty-eight old was with a seemingly young woman; who of course was called a gold digger and much more fancier names. Though the first time was a mistake when the paparazzi caught her leaving the manor with him by her side.

What had happened was, she got piss drunk at the Gala party and found herself drunkly wandering around the manor until she found a room where she hugged her bottle of champagne and fell asleep on the soft bed. Coincidentally that bed belonged to Bruce who was just as startled as Alfred when they found her softly snoring away. Now, he wasn’t about to kick her out like a puppy out into the rain (it wasn’t raining that night). Instead like a man with common sense (you gotta question if he has any sometimes) had Alfred prepare a room for her. Bruce picked her up bridal style and took her to the spare room. He tried to take the bottle out of her hands but she flung her hand up almost slapping him. He just left her with it with a disgruntled sigh.

The next morning Y/n woke up with a throbbing headache and a confusion as to where the heck she was. Her dress was still on—the first thing she checked—and a bottle was on the floor. She remembered that bottle and a fancy long alway and a soft bed, and strong arms. Y/n stumbled out of bed to explore the place and amongst the exploration Bruce Wayne found her petting Ace who wasn’t very good with strangers. Yet Ace enjoyed her cooing. After that meeting he couldn’t stop thinking of her only because he was slightly curious (that’s as far as he’ll admit that he was infatuated with her) but Alfred knew. And Alfred hoped that Y/n would pop up again somehow, someway.

After the newspapers and the gossips, Bruce and Y/n took small dates that gradually turned into bigger, intimate dates but he has yet to fully know her. After all, Bruce Wayne—Batman couldn’t find much about Y/n’s background only her full name and where she came from but nothing about her family or her past. He wasn’t even sure if Y/n was her actual name. And they say Batman is the Greatest Detective ever.

Y/n saw past Bruce’s clumsy, happy, dumb billionaire playboy act but even so she didn’t push him to open up. He is a difficult man and hard to understand, though she wasn’t going to break her head to understand him. He’s a bit of an asshole but kind and always trying to help others. She always wondered what a dumb billionaire playboy is doing with a body like his. Bruce’s body was like of a man who’s gone through hard ships and who could probably fight a mountain lion. She was sure he didn’t gain such a bod going to the gym. And all those scars worried her so she asked which wasn’t something she should’ve done because he lied through his teeth, so she didn’t ask twice. He may be an amazing liar to everyone else but she’s observant and in-tune with the vibes a person emits.

Y/n was on her second year off from college. She has three jobs and Bruce offered to pay for her apartment and other stuff which she got mad at even though her young, eighteen year old struggling self would’ve taken that opportunity but some opinions change as you age. Y/n got into an ugly argument with him which ended up in a break up. Who broke up with who? We’ll never know (it was y/n). It was only their first month of dating when they broke up. Bruce was upset but not as upset as you’d think. It’s not like she broke his heart or anything but it irked him for some reason.

Batman seemed to be a little bit more quieter and more annoyed with the rogues. Even Robin noticed.

Damian couldn’t believe that that harlot clouded his father’s mind. Who was she anyway? He wanted to pay a visit but if father heard of it he was sure he wouldn’t be able to go on patrol for more than a week. It wasn’t something he really wanted. Damian didn’t get along with Y/n when she was with Bruce. He didn’t like her one bit. She was too young—just one year younger than Dick—yet he didn’t trust her. Even when she tried to be nice to him he didn’t accept it. He talked to Dick about it who listened in return and was already curious about this Y/n.

Funnily enough, Dick never met her. He was too busy caught up in Bludhaven but when he got the chance he coicendently bumped into her with Tim in a diner she was working at. At her time at the manor, Tim got along with her and he actually liked her. He said she was kind and overly understanding, rare to meet someone like that anymore. Dick thought she was beautiful and charming making them both laugh with her sassy comments and sarcasm. It almost reminded him of someone who uses a lot of sarcasm (you know who).

Y/n thought Dick was handsome but not her cup of tea. She has a thing for older men and she blames her mother and the media for that. Truthfully, she missed Bruce but had enough pride to not call him up. She was the one who broke up with him after all. So she talked to Alfred who promised not to tell Bruce anything.

“Alfred, who was that on the phone?” Bruce walks into the kitchen with a suit and tie and his brief case. He pours himself a cup of coffee.

“Oh, just an old friend from the theatre community.” Alfred said. “I have your papers ready for you, sir.”

“Thank you, Alfred.” He places them in his brief case.

“Ahem, out of curiosity, Master Bruce but have you talked to Miss Y/n?”

“I know you miss her company, Alfred, but she decided to end things.” He sighs. “I’ll be taking the Lamborghini today.”

“Why the change of heart, sir?”

“No reason.”

“Does it have to do with the fact that Miss Y/n told you to be more spontaneous? As if you weren’t full of surprises already,” he mutters loud enough for Bruce to hear.

He choses to ignore Alfred’s comment but does a double take at him.

“She may…have something to do with it.”

“For Godsake, Master Bruce, you should talk to her. Call her. I’m sure she misses you as well.”

Bruce lets out a low soft grunt which makes Alfred roll his eyes at him. Sometimes he wonders where that stubbornness comes from even though he knows where. Alfred bids him goodbye and goes along his schedule for the day.

Driving—more like zooming down the streets he stops at a red light only to see a familiar face strutting across, minding her business. He wasn’t the only one taken by her. People stopped to watch her even when the green light turned.

Y/n could feel people staring. At first she wondered if she had toilet paper stuck on her or if she looked weird, for a moment she felt self-conscious, but then she held her head up high and smirked. She knew she was hot. God, I’d kill for a donut. She thought as she disappeared around the corner and the honks began.

Bruce knew where she works, maybe he’d go get coffee at the diner—no. I’m not about to chase her. He had a stubborn pride and ego. Though somehow she manages to sneak into his thoughts while at work. Her pretty face when she laughed, her ugly, snotty crying face, and those passionate eyes when she talked about a subject she loved. Then he thought about how she had him wrapped around her pinky with just one lustful look. He could practically hear her moans and her giggles. She made him feel like a teenage boy again, honestly. Bruce left early and went to find her. That’s how they ended here; in a fancy restaurant with a beautiful outdoor patio kind of just quietly looking at each other.

Well, Y/n was more glaring because he took her out of work and she’s wearing her uniform which had a ketchup stain that didn’t look as flattering.

“Are you ready to order?” The waitress comes by again a bit nervous because last time Y/n accidentally shot her a glare.

“Yeah,” Y/n says with a polite smile. “I’ll have a strawberry margarita.”

“Of course, and you, Mr. Wayne?”

He smiles at her. “I’m fine for now. Thank you.”

She leaves with a nod and a smile.

After a bit of silence he decided to speak first. He apologized for being out of line and not taking her feelings into consideration. Watching Bruce apologize was the highlight of her day because it was like watching someone making something more complicated than it is. It was cute and sweet. Especially, when pulled out a gift wrapped in a gold bow.

It was a private gift that only Y/n knew what he meant behind it because it was something specifically for her. It made her heart melt. She placed it on her lap and then smiled at the waitress when she placed her drink in front of her.

“Oh, Bruce.” She looks at her gift. “I accept your apology and I have to say.” She glances at him with the softest look. “I’m sorry too. I tend to take things too personally, y’know? I understand you where you were coming from…I just got mad.” She sighs. “I’m not materialistic. I like being happy and having lots of sex. That simple.”

He chuckles. “Believe it or not, I’m not exactly used to having it simple.”

“Guess, you’ll have to get used to me.”

“I guess I will.”

Y/n smiles from ear to ear with a light pink blushing glowing on her cheeks. Though the glowing was probably from the other margarita drink she ordered. Either way she was glowing.

The rest of the day was spent wherever she wanted and she wanted to ride fast in his car. She loves the thrill of it, the sharp turns and the goosebumps the rush gave her was amazing. He even taught her how to drive it and when she got the hang of it, she went wild. At the end of it, her hair was a mess but she didn’t care she was having fun with Bruce. He paid the guy who let them use the open space and then they left to the manor where Alfred was busy and Damian was training.

With all the kisses and the giggling coming from Y/n they didn’t notice Damian. She pulled him to the kitchen where she began to look through the fridge.

“What are you looking for, Y/n?” He asks, his eyes lingering on her body.

“This!” She holds a grapefruit in her hand. “I’m gonna give you a b—Damian!”

“L/n.” He narrows his eyes at her. “Father, you’re home early. What is L/n doing here? Is she going to leave soon?”

“She isn’t going to leave…yet.” Y/n smiles at him. “Don’t worry, Damian, I won’t take your daddy away.”

Y/n didn’t know who was Damian cockblocking but he didn’t let them have a moment together for one split second. Even when Bruce had his arm around Y/n, he managed to slip in between them. She knew that he didn’t like her and that was fine. Kids in general don’t like her but god, she wanted to fuck Bruce and she was sure that he felt the same way when he looked at her. But somehow with some twisted luck they got to have a moment together which sadly didn’t require the grapefruit though she promised she’d use it.

They had sex. God those hands of his, how they roam around her skin and just hold her so passionately like those beautiful sculptured greek statues. They didn’t have to speak or make love, every time he held her like that was like some sort of ecstasy and she didn’t want him to stop. That fateful night he left after giving her a kiss on her temple. She woke up past midnight and wondered where Bruce was. She wandered around with one of his button down shirts. She couldn’t find Alfred either and Ace and Titus were soundly asleep. Apparently, Tim had to leave for some overnight school trip and Damian wasn’t in bed.

She was in the library when she heard something opening that startled her. She hid behind the couch. She watched Alfred come out from behind that old clock. He leaves the room and closed the door.

“What’s this?” She opens the passage way and a cold air rushes past her.

Y/n looks down the darkness and takes one step in and the clock closes. She cusses. Great, Bruce Wayne is like a low-key dungeon freak or worse he murders people and this is his murder dungeon. The worst thoughts were running through her mind. She got down the long stair case and to her surprise she sees a whole lotta shit; Robin costumes, old Batman costumes, bat-mobiles, and weapons. Then she sees the bat-computer. Okay so, Bruce is a huge Batman fan or Batman lives in Bruce’s basement, what?

“Alfred, are you there?” It was Bruce’s voice but more deeper and rougher.

“What the fu—’’

To be continued?

141 notes · View notes

chimaerakitten · 7 years

Text

Blackberries

About a week ago, @komadoriwonder requested the batkids+blackberries. I finally wrote it.

AO3

“Why is it so hooooooooooot?” Dick complained from his place on the kitchen floor.

“It’s summer.” Tim replied from somewhere Dick couldn’t see. “And didn’t the circus winter in Florida?”

Dick rolled over so he could look Tim in the eye. “Tell me you aren’t more effected by this than me.”

Tim did look way worse than Dick did. For someone who practically lived in layered sweatshirts with the sleeves cut off, he really couldn’t take heat. His T-Shirt was soaked through with sweat and he’d pulled his hair into the saddest bun possible to keep it off his neck.

“No,” Tim said. “But I—“He pulled open one of the kitchen drawers to punctuate. “—Am going to do something about it.”

Dick sat up fast when he saw that Tim was taking a spoon out of the drawer. “Tim, don’t. That ice cream is Damian’s.”

Tim hummed as he pulled the gallon of ice cream out of the freezer. “I’ll just blame it on Jason.”

“Jason’s not even here today.”

“Wait for it.”

That same second there was the sound of the door slamming open and boots stomping through the foyer.

“TIM!” Jason yelled.

“KITCHEN!” Tim yelled back, making Dick wince.

Jason stomped into the kitchen. “Where’d you put it?”

Jason was, of course, still wearing his trademark leather jacket, despite the 100-degree heat.

Dick wrinkled his nose “How are you still wearing that?”

Jason shot him a look of pure distain, though he did begin removing the coat. “Because I came here on a motorcycle?”

“…Fair.”

“ANYWAY.” Jason whirled back to Tim. “Where’d you put it?”

Tim rolled his eyes, pulling open the ice cream container. “Where do you think?”

Jason growled.

“In the cave! Jeeze.”

Dick looked from Tim to Jason. “What did you do?”

“Why do you assume always assume I did something?”

Tim cleared his throat. “Actually Dick, It was me his time. I accidentally took his grapple home with me after the stakeout last night.”

“Oh,” Dick said, lowering himself back to the floor, “Okay.”

Jason looked down at him. “Why are you on the floor.”

“Becaush itsch howt.” Tim said, around a mouthful of ice cream.

“What?”

“It’s hot.” Dick explained.

“You do realize,” Jason said slowly, “That you have an entire cave underneath this house that never gets above sixty degrees even in the summer.”

“Brusch banned usch.”

“Since when have you listened to what he says?” Jason asked, indignant.

“To hot to fight him.” Dick explained.

Jason shook his head. “You guys are pathetic. I’m leaving before you infect me.”

“Rude.”

Jason was almost out the kitchen door when it slammed open again. “Grayson!” Damian shouted, stepping smoothly around Jason.

“Damian.” Dick replied smoothly. Or as smoothly as he could, lying on the floor in a pool of his own sweat.

Damian stomped over (what was with everyone and their stomping today?) until he was standing next to Dick’s head. “Cain is missing.”

Dick smiled. “I think she’s in the wine cellar. It’s a little cooler in there.”

Damian huffed. “Why are you all so pathetic.”

“See!” Jason exclaimed, pointing at Damian. “He gets it!”

Damian side-eyed Jason. “And now Todd is here being ridiculous as well.”

“Don’t lump me in with them!”

“Oh, hey!” Dick sat up. “That reminds me!”

“Oh no.” Tim said, having surreptitiously snuck Damian’s ice cream back in the freezer when no one was looking. “Nothing good begins with Dick saying ‘that reminds me’.”

Dick glared. “That reminds me that the blackberries in the back of the property are ripe and Alfred wants to make a cobbler.”

“And why does Todd being here remind you of that?”

“Because,” Dick said, standing up. “Someone needs to pick the blackberries first.”

“Oh hell no, I’m not getting any more lacerations.” Jason said. “I’m out.”

“You are wearing a leather jacket.” Tim observed. “You really have no excuse.”

“He’s right, Jay.”

Jason whirled on Tim. “You’re a horrible little sadist, you know that?”

“I try.”

“And I can tell Damian that you were just eating his ice cream.”

“Drake!”

One fight, a collection of Cass out of the wine cellar, and a trip to the cave for protective gear later, and everyone was tromping through the underbrush at the back of the property to get to the blackberry patch.

While the others walked ahead, Dick lagged behind to guide Tim, who had been laden with Tupperware of various sizes and couldn’t see his feet.

“Watch out for those roots.”

“You could just take half of these off me, you know. I could see then.” Tim said, picking his way around the roots.

Dick grinned. “Where’s the fun in that?”

Tim just rolled his eyes.

“GRAYSON!”

Dick sighed, scooping half the containers off of Tim’s stack. “We better go see what that’s about.”

They met up with the others at the end of the row of blackberries.

“TT, I thought you would never catch up.”

Dick smiled. “I was just helping Timmy with the containers.”

Damian huffed. He painted a comical picture, standing in the underbrush wearing his Robin boots and gloves over civies.

Dick ruffled his hair, turning to the rest of the group. “Alright, we need a plan of attack.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “Dick, it’s blackberry picking, not fighting Darkseid.”

Jason looked contemplative. “No, he’s right, we need to be able to do this quickly.”

“And without pain.” Cass chimed in.

“That too.”

Dick clapped his hands together. “Alright, so. Jason and Damian are wearing the most protective gear, so it’s their job to get the ones farther back in the bush. Cass, you can get on my shoulders to reach the high-up ones. Tim can get all the easy to reach ones.”

“How come I’m on the cushy job?”

“Because Cass has better balance.”

“I can lend you my jacket and you can work with the demon brat.” Jason offered.

“I’m not working with Drake!”

At the exact same moment, Tim said, “Hell no, Jason. That jacket reeks.”

“Rude.”

“Anyway.” Dick said, trying to get the conversation back on track. “Everyone grab a container. Let’s get picking.”

Twenty minutes later, the plan seemed to be working. The only one with lacerations seemed to be Tim (his cry of “Ouch!” rang out every minute or two when he overestimated his reach) and Damian’s picking method of stomping his way into the bush and grabbing every blackberry in sight had already filled an entire container. Jason and Cass both seemed to be following the “Two in mouth, one in bucket” rule, but at least it kept Jason from laughing at Tim whenever the younger boy hurt himself again.

“Hey Cass, you mind if I put you down for a second? This is starting to hurt.”

Rather than reply, Cass stood up on his shoulders and then back flipped off, landing without so much as a sound.

“Showoff!” Tim called.

Cass stuck her tongue out at him, and then turned to Dick. “Now your turn.”

“What?”

“Your turn to be on my soulders.”

Dick scratched the back of his head. “I dunno Cass, I’m a lot heavier than you.”

Cass shook her head. “I can handle it.”

“If you’re sure.”

She spun around so he could climb up on her shoulders. Despite his fears, she seemed unbothered by the weight.

Dick had filled the tub halfway before Cass spoke again.

“I’ve never done this before.”

Dick looked down. “You haven’t?”

Cass shook her head. “Never had the time.”

And of course David Cain wouldn’t have allowed it when she was a child.

Dick grinned. “Well you’ve been missing out. I used to do this all the time with the circus. We stopped in big open fields usually, and there were always blackberries around. We never made cobbler because that required an oven and the one in our trailer rarely worked, but we made blackberry syrup all the time. My dad would serve it over pancakes on the mornings of big performances.”

Cass hummed. “Sounds… sweet.”

Dick wasn’t sure if she meant the family tradition or the syrup itself. “It was.”

“I wonder—“

Whatever Cass was going to say was interrupted by a high-pitched, childish shriek down the row from them.

Climbing down from Cass’s shoulders, Dick’s immediate thought was that Damian must have been hurt, but Damian wasn’t much of a shrieker, which meant it was probably Tim.

So Dick was surprised when he got down to the other end of the row to find both boys unharmed and standing calmly a few feet away from the brambles.

“What happened!? Are you both okay?” Then something occurred to him. “And where’s Jason?”

That was when the bush started cussing Dick out.

He turned around, confused, to find Jason, a full five feet into the bush, sunken down so that hos eyes were at Dick’s chest level.

“What happened?” Dick asked.

Tim laughed. “He stepped into the bush and then he screamed.”

Jason glared. “There’s a drop off here!”

“So why are you still in there?” Dick asked.

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m completely surrounded with thorns! And unlike the rest of me, my face doesn’t have armor on it!”

“TT. I advised you to wear the helmet.”

Cass appeared next to Tim. “Like one of Ivy’s traps.”

Jason glared at each of them in turn. “Someone help me get out of here.”

“You’re pretty far in there.” Dick observed. “We might have to get the machete and cut back the vines back a bit.”

“Dick I swear to god, if you swing a machete at me I will shoot you.”

Dick snorted. “You don’t have a gun on you.”

Jason raised an eyebrow.

“There’s no way you have a gun on you.”

“Do you really want to risk it?”

Nobody replied to that.

“Someone had better get me out of here now or I’ll shoot all of you.”

Dick looked around. “Well Damian’s the most heavily armored, so if he goes in and grabs Jason’s arms the rest of us can pull both of them out.”

“Dick, This seems like a terrible plan.” Tim said.

“For once, I agree with Tim.” Jason added. “This seems like a great way to get shredded by thorns.”

“Well I don’t see anyone coming up with a better plan.”

“Actually, I’ve got one.” Tim said.

Everyone looked at him.

“WE send Damian in first, like you said. He pulls the vines away from Jason’s face, and we get like, a big stick or something, and we pull Jason out with that.”

“Okay,” Dick admitted, “That is a better plan, but we need a branch or something.”

“Got it.” Cass said, and Dick spun around to see that she had somehow already retrieved a branch of the appropriate size.

“That was fast.” Dick said, impressed.

Tim snorted. “It was like three feet behind her.”

Cass stuck her tongue out at him.

“Alright then. Damian, you’re up.”

Damian slunk into the bush, carefully pulling vines away from Jason’s face.

“Brat, if you get me scratched on purpose I’ll—“

“TT. You’ll what Todd, shoot me? How original.”

Jason fumed silently.

“You good there, Damian?” Dick asked.

Once Damian had most of the vines gathered up in his hands, he slid sideways into the bush, being mindful of the drop off. “I believe so.”

“Alright then,” Dick said, “Cass?”

“Wait!” Jason yelled. “I still have a tub of berries in here.”

Dick reached into the bush, carefully taking the tub Jason handed up. It was heavier than he expected, and he almost dropped it. “How many did you pick?” he asked, incredulous.

“What can I say? I want cobbler.”

Dick stepped back, placing Jason’s tub with everyone else’s.

“Ok Cass, we’re good to go.”

Cass passed on end of the branch into the bush, and Jason grabbed hold of it. Tim stepped close to the bush and grabbed the middle of the branch.

“I know Cass is strong and all, but I doubt the two of you are going to be able to do this on your own.”

Tim rolled his eyes. “Quit stalling and go.”

“Fine.” Jason switched his grip on the branch.

Dick started to count down. “Three. Two. One— Everyone pull!”

Tim and Cass dug in their heels while Jason heaved himself up along the branch and Damian pressed himself even farther into the side of the bush. Unfortunately they’d overestimated the amount of strength necessary to manage the task, because Jason got out of the hole easily, but stumbled forward and knocked Tim and Cass backward into Dick. All four off then tumbled over on a tangle of limbs.

For a moment, they all just laid on the ground, out of breath.

“Well that was something.” Dick said.

Jason groaned. “I think Damian missed one near my neck. Something stings.”

“Actually Jason,” Tim laughed nervously, “I think that was me. I haven’t clipped my fingernails in a while.”

Jason sat up. “What the fuck, Tim.”

“Language!” Cass and Dick said at the same time.

“Okay, first of all, the two of you swear more than I do—“ Jason started.

Damian stepped out of the bush. “ That is false, Todd, and you know it.”

Jason got to his feet. “You know Dick censors himself around you, right?”

Damian looked at Dick. “Grayson?”

Dick smiled in apology. “Sorry, Lil D.”

“TT. You are aware that I’ve heard worse than you could ever say.”

Tim sat up too. “I dunno Damian, Dick can be a pretty creative swearer.”

“Blackberries.” Cassandra reminded them all.

Tim hefted Jason’s container. “Actually Cass, I think we might have enough for like, four cobblers.”

Dick sat up, doing a mental tally of all the containers. “Yeah I think we do.”

“Finally.” Jason said. “Alfred’s cobbler will make hanging out with all of you idiots worth it.”

Dick rolled his eyes. “C’mon guys. Let’s eat.”

Of course, there were two attempted stabbings in the hour and a half before the cobbler was done, but that was one attempted stabbing down from last week, so Dick counted the afternoon as a win.

#Dick Grayson #Jason Todd #Tim Drake #cassandra cain #Damian Wayne #the kitten writes #prompts #prompt

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auburnfamilynews · 5 years

Link

The Tigers will host five more top targets this weekend in an effort to close out the 2019 cycle strong.

It’s plenty busy on the recruiting trail right now. Auburn coaches are traveling all over the country (more on that later) visiting not only their top targets in the 2019 class but future classes as well. Offers are flying out daily to top level 2020, 2021 and yes even the occasional 2022 prospects. This is typically one of the busiest times of the recruiting cycle as coaching staffs attempt to put the final touches on their signing class and start building momentum for next year.

Official Visitors

Like last weekend, Auburn is expecting five official visitors on campus over the next couple of days. Unlike last weekend, I think there’s a VERY good chance the Tigers add a commitment by Monday. Here’s a look at who is expected on campus later this evening.

4* ATH John Rhys Plumlee | 6’1” | 185 lbs | Hattiesburg, MS | UGA Commit

This was the big surprise of the week. The longtime Dawg commit may have lost his place in that class when UGA pulled off a late flip of former Ohio State QB commit Dwan Mathis during the early signing period. There’s been rumors in recent weeks that Plumlee is being asked to blueshirt (explanation of a blueshirt) which may have put the talented athlete back on the market.

Interestingly, Plumlee prefers to play QB in college and that’s where Auburn is reportedly recruiting him to play. Now could this be a Jason Smith like situation where Auburn allows him a shot at QB before convincing him to slide elsewhere? We will see but it could also mean the staff expects some attrition at the QB position this spring especially when you consider the attempts to evaluate graduate transfer options.

As for Plumlee’s talents, he’s a big time athlete. He could play QB, WR or DB at the next level and is also a terrific baseball player. Plumlee is very quick, able to change directions at a moments notice and has outstanding top end speed that makes him a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. He’s got some Manziel to his game at the QB position in that he’s at his best in the midst of chaos. With a quick trigger and quick feet, he can get himself out of trouble in a hurry and be an all around headache for defenses. Plumlee would definitely give Auburn a dual threat option at QB. Given the signing of Nix though I expect Plumlee’s future at Auburn would be either at slot WR or safety. Ole Miss and Mississippi State are thought to be the teams to watch heading into this weekend. It will be interesting to see if the Tigers can make a strong late push for another elite Mississippi prospect.

3* DT LeDarrius Cox | 6’5” | 300 lbs | Mobile, AL | Tennessee Commit

For months now the thought has been that Cox would eventually land in Auburn’s class. Despite being committed to Tennessee, he’s 100% predicted to the Tigers via 247’s Crystal Ball feature. But as this recruitment has gone on the likelihood of that flip seems to have gone down. Publicly, Cox continues to say all the right things as a committed prospect but he’s set to make two huge visits in the coming weekend. This week its Auburn, next week its Ole Miss. If either of those programs plan on making a big move, now is the time.

Would Auburn take both Cox and 4* DL Charles Moore if they wanted on board? No idea outside of Moore 100% has a spot. VERY interested to see what news comes out on this young man after his visit this weekend.

3* OT Ira Henry | 6’5” | 320 lbs | St. Louis, MO

I’ve been waiting for some new OT names to pop up and yesterday one finally did. Henry has become one of the most sought after prospects on the trail late this cycle with Florida, Florida State and now Auburn hard after his signature. Henry took an official visit to the Gators this past weekend but its the Noles to keep an eye on. They have plenty of playing time to sell and Henry has considered FSU is “dream offer”.

Henry’s senior tape is not available but what you see on his junior film is a guy that can move despite his size and someone with A LOT of power in his punch. At times he can be a little overly reliant on the fact he’s just bigger and stronger than his opponent but I love how light on his feet he is at 320 lbs and his ability to finish. The Tigers need help at the OT spot for 2020 and beyond. Henry would sure help in that regard.

3* LB Christopher Russell | 6’1” | 228 lbs | Dyersburg, TN

Once a Memphis commit, Russell has become one of the top targets for a number of SEC programs. He’s already officially visited Texas A&M, will be on the Plains this weekend and has visits still scheduled for Arkansas and Tennessee later this month. The Hogs were thought to be the leaders in this race at one point but now it’s the Vols who have picked up the intensity after losing JUCO LB commit Lakia Henry.

Russell is a thumper and a clear MLB at the next level. While he doesn’t necessarily face the strongest of competition, he dominates like he should at that level. I have some questions about his speed but there’s no denying that inside the box he’s a force to be reckoned with. Auburn has made him a clear priority in recent weeks and will attempt to make a major move in his recruitment this weekend.

2* ATH Kameron Brown | 6’0” | 222 lbs | Buford, GA

I will be stunned if Brown is not on Auburn’s commit list by Monday morning. The younger brother of super star defensive tackle Derrick Brown, Kameron has spent most of his recruitment trying to convince schools to take a chance on him despite his size and slow 40 time. He finished second in the state of Georgia in tackles in 2018 with 205 and does carry two offers from strong FCS programs UT Chattanooga and Furman. But no FBS schools had come calling just yet.

Until now....

The Tigers offered Brown on January 8th just a few days before his older brother announced that he was returning to school. Interestingly, Auburn is reportedly recruiting him as an athlete. While he might get a shot at linebacker, his future might actually be at the 3-back (H-Back) position. If that’s the case, the future of that position continues to be confusing considering all the different type of athletes the Tigers have signed in recent seasons. That aside, Auburn would be getting a talented young man with a serious chip on his shoulder ready to prove his worth if he were to commit this weekend. Everyone that has spent time with the young man only have really positive things to say about his effort, attitude and leadership.

Curious Case of Dylan Jordan

One target that will not be on campus this weekend is 3* LB Dylan Jordan out of Pittsburg, KS. He recently became a top target for the Tigers and as late as Wednesday evening was expected to visit the Plains this weekend. But yesterday he surprised everyone by announcing he will instead take an official visit to TCU.

So it’s official, this weekend I’ll be taking an OV in Fort Worth pic.twitter.com/Ygp631MMu2

— DJ3️⃣ (@thedylanjordan_) January 17, 2019

Now the Horned Frogs were the originally scheduled destination before Auburn began their push but Jordan told numerous Auburn reporters he was going to the Plains instead. But the TCU staff visited him on Wednesday and apparently convinced him to go back to his original plans. Jordan has stated he wants to commit on January 28th in the past so the Tigers will need to scramble to get him on campus if they want to make a serious move in his recruitment. As of today, TCU and Utah appear to be the top schools to watch. But don’t expect Travis Williams to go down without a fight in this battle.

Interesting Early 2020 Note

Watching offers roll in over the past week for future classes, something interesting caught my eye. Auburn had offered two OTs from the state of Arizona. After some digging I found something interesting.

Interesting note on 2020 recruiting Auburn has already offered 5 players from Arizona in next year's class Auburn offered a total of 4 players in the 2013-2019 classes combined from Arizona Why the change? Dillingham grew up/coached in Arizona

— AUNerd (@AUSportsNerd) January 18, 2019

For those unfortunate folks who have Twitter blocked at their workplace, Auburn has offered 5 players in the 2020 class from the state of Arizona. They offered a total of 4 from 2013-2019 per 247’s “Offers” feature. The link? Auburn’s new offensive coordinator and QB coach Kenny Dillingham.

Auburn’s newest staff addition grew up in the state of Arizona, coached high school football there AND landed his first collegiate gig as a grad assistant for Mike Norvell at Arizona State. Pretty clear he has some connections in the area. In the 2019 class, we’ve seen the clear effect Marcus Woodson’s addition to the staff has had on the trail. All of a sudden Mississippi is a place Auburn can recruit again. Might Dillingham open up some options further west?

Maybe.... Arizona is a bit of a different beast than Mississippi but it’s still something interesting to monitor as we head into a new recruiting cycle. Whether anything materializes in these recruitments is still to be seen and I sure as heck ain’t expecting Auburn to open up a pipeline to the Copper State but I also wouldn’t be shocked if there’s someone a little further west is listed on Auburn’s signee list in 2020.

Tim Horton Impact

Earlier this week, DesertWeagle made the accurate observation in the comment section that we really haven’t talked much about the Tim Horton news on this site. Honestly, I haven’t had much of an opinion on it because I want to see how it plays out. Is he going to take Patrick Suddes old role and become the big picture/right hand man guy for Gus? Or is this Scott Fountain 2.0 and he pops up somewhere else as an on field coach. Neither move would surprise me and until Gus brings in a new RB coach it’s hard to really speculate on the impact moving forward.

However, I will say that Horton doesn’t get as much respect as he should as a recruiter. It’s not as simple as position coach gets all the guys for his position. Often times, it’s the area recruiter that lays the groundwork for top targets. Horton is a very big reason why Auburn has found success in the Tampa and Birmingham areas under Gus Malzahn. His biggest pull was obviously Kerryon Johnson but he played an important role for guys like Austin Troxell and Nate-Craig Myers as well. His biggest impact in the 2019 class was his work on recently tabbed 4* RB DJ Williams who might end up making Horton look REALLY good in a few years.

But I also understand the move. Horton is a solid, not elite recruiter and the RB coach spot is a place where you can find one of those. You see what someone like Dell McGee is doing at Georgia and it’s hard not to feel like the Tigers could get more from that position on the staff. It will be VERY interesting to see who Gus brings in to replace Horton. He will inherit a talented RB room and replace some big shoes when it at least comes to pedigree in producing elite backs in this league.

War Eagle!

from College and Magnolia - All Posts https://www.collegeandmagnolia.com/2019/1/18/18187784/2019-auburn-football-recruiting-another-busy-weekend-ahead-john-rhys-plumlee-kameron-brown

#IFTTT #Blogger #auburn #auburn fast #wareagle #AuburnFamilyNews #war eagle #sec #football news #aubu

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ceciliewritesstuff-blog · 7 years

Text

Interview with Asa Butterfield

Boys by Girls Magazine, SS17.

Even the smallest of things can make colossal waves. A single moment in a movie can make you change the way you see the world or set a new path in your life. An actor has the power to create these moments and characters we can connect with - the power to effect the moods and lives of others, as well as opening up new imaginary worlds all of us can escape into.

At only 18 years old, British actor Asa Butterfield has already starred alongside an impressive list of Hollywood stars, and featured in a superb array of movies. Known to many as Bruno in ‘The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas’, the London actor spends a day with us to talk about his latest movie projects and upcoming films this year; including playing one of the leads in Tim Burton’s ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’. I talk to the talanted actor about the importance of making good decisions, and Asa knows how to make clever choices when it comes to the roles he takes on. Growing up in the world of acting, he talks with passion about the art of film and what it takes to embody the persona of someone else.

Yet, he is simply just a boy; one who likes hanging out with mates or sitting in his bedroom playing computer games - just another player in the game - like the rest of us. Some boys make a lasting impression on you, and Asa’s witty and quirkily peculiar words don’t fail to make a mark. Fully committed to every photo we take, it’s clear that imagination is a key part of how his mind works and he doesn’t hold back. During the day we find him talking to his least favourite walls, crawling on the dirty ground like a lizard, searching for unknown things in his Jedi robe, climbing fences, channelling his inner 4am drunk and running in fields in pyjamas. Obviously. The words ‘quirkily ordinary’, as he describes himself, seem perfectly appropriate.

When you capture someone who a wider audience has an opinion of, it adds a certain pressure to do them justice. During my day with Asa, he created such a chilled environment that the task ahead simply seemed like a light-hearted game. Although the young Brit has transitioned from a child actor to adult roles, he has been able to keep the boy within as well as his vivid imagination. Someone who enjoys living every boy’s fantasy; whether it is shooting lazer guns in zero gravity space on movie sets or sitting at home playing computer games. As he promises to slay some virtual demons in my name, I appreciate having spent the day in the world we created, and am excited to see the waves he will make this year as ‘The Space Between Us’ (19th August) and ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ (30th September) hit the big screen, allowing us all to escape for a while.

Do you cry? Yes, when the time calls for it, like when I die in a video game. No, that was a joke, I just want to clarify that, haha. I don’t know what makes me cry, sad shit. I’d say I’m definitely in touch with my emotions and quite emotionally connected, but I think that growing up as a guy you tend to suppress certain emotions for whatever reason. Whether it is to impress people or to show that you’re a tough guy, which a lot of people put on. Although I do cry a lot less than I used too, I used to be such a wimp when I was a kid. Like when you lose your favourite lego brick, that’s devastating. That will bring tears to your eyes.

Who is Asa? I think that’s an interesting question, because I had quite a different upbringing. I’ve had to be more mature and have proper conversations with adults since I was thirteen years old. There is definitely that part of me which is confident and good at talking to people. There is also a part of me, that is quite a quiet person. I’m very content in not saying much and just enjoying whatever situation I am in; playing video games and hanging out with my mates, which are two very opposing sides. The first impression I give people is that I am quite talkative and a sort of funny guy, but in reality I’m totally not. I’m a lot more boring, placid and easy going. I’m very content going with the flow and chillaxing.

You have played such a variety of roles; from Ender Wiggin leading the fight against an alien race in ‘Ender’s Game’, angsty teenager in “Ten Thousand Saints” and a math progidy in “X + Y”. You seem to make good choices. Whenever I’m picking a role I look for characters that are going to be challenging or different to what I have done before, otherwise you’re not really pushing yourself as an actor. For ‘Ender’s Game’, conveying his understanding of the situation they were in, being so ahead of his peers, was a challenge. I loved working with Gavin Hood, the director, to figure out the best way to represent that. Then “X + Y” was probably my most challenging role. Firstly it was a person who was on the autistic spectrum, which was something I didn’t know that much about before the film, so it was an educational experience for me. Everyone on the spectrum are slightly different, so I had to figure out how to portray my character, Nathan - how he would speak and observe the world. For him it was all about mathematical patterns and colour. It was quite demanding physically, because I had to totally change myself in the way I walked. When you take on a role, even if it is subtle changes you adopt, you have to start by stripping back all the things you would naturally do. You need to get rid of all that, so it’s just a blank slate in which you can start to create this new character and the way he speaks and works. It was a really interesting experience.

How did you switch between Asa and Nathan? That’s what is weird, because when you do it for a long time and it’s a character so different from yourself, it is hard to make that switch, and often it’s hard to switch back. The line starts to get blurred, and I started noticing that sometimes in everyday life I’d still be doing things Nathan would do. It leaves a sort of imprint on you. I think all of the characters do. The following movie was ‘Ten Thousand Saints’, which was my chance to do a more mature role.

What was it like to grow up within the world of acting? I think being an actor lets you appreciate other people’s differences more, because you are playing these characters and figuring out why they are troubled, sad or happy. You get quite good at analysing people. I grew up a lot quicker than my peers I think, because I was working in an adult world, showing up for work on time and learning my lines.

This year you’ve got two movies coming out. I do. The first one comes out August 19th and is called ‘The Space Between Us’. This film is about the first boy who was born on Mars. One of the astronauts got pregnant just before their shuttle launched to Mars, and when the story really starts, my character is 16 years old and has lived his entire life on a space station on Mars. He doesn’t really know anything about Earth other than bits of information he has gathered. All he has is a picture of his parents, his mother who died in childbirth and his dad who he is determined to find. He travels back to Earth to live a more normal life and starts the search for his dad. It’s quite tense, because he is on a timer as he can’t survive on Earth for that long. His character was so fun to play, because he is new to Earth and is experiencing everything for the first time. He has never seen a tree before and he has no idea what the social norms are, which makes him quite weird and funny. The cast was really great. Gary Oldman was awesome to work with, he is so good at everything he does. Then ‘Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children’ is out September 30th. This film is based on the first book in a trilogy, and Tim Burton is directing it. It’s a very Tim Burton film, if you know what I mean, very mysterious and has those kind of dark elements to it. It was an amazing shoot, five months long, working with Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Green and Terence Stamp.

The movie has such a strong cast. The cast, the crew and the cinematographer are all great. Everyone involved is really good, so I’m excited to see it. You can’t go wrong really when you’ve got such a good group of people behind it.

What was it like on set with all these amazing people? It is awesome and you do enjoy pretty much everyday you are there, give or take a couple of rainy ones. The notion of being on set with all these really cool people does kind of end up feeling normal, in a weird way. You get into a routine; you wake up at around six o’clock, go to set - it’s pretty much the same routine every day for five months. I have been really lucky to work with some incredible people. You end up learning something from each film you do, watching what they do and how they compose themselves. I’ve had pretty much the best education in acting that I could have hoped for. Would you rather spend three years in drama school, or have a first hand conversation with someone about film history? I’m really happy.

Talk a bit about the role you play. I play a pretty normal guy, probably the most normal in the film. I’m the one the audience will be able to relate to, because he is thrown into this completely wacky world, and is totally taken back by what he believed was real and what actually is real. I go to this home and meet these peculiar children, who I always thought didn’t exist. They all have these slightly odd powers and are kept under the wing of this parent who has the power to change into a bird. They live in a time loop, and there is time travel involved and a lot of fantasy.

Quite a few of your roles have a sci-fi element to it? You know when you’ve got a good script in front of you. So when a good one comes up, regardless of the genre, you know it’s the right choice. I do love fantasy and sci-fi though, as they are the only books I read when I was growing up.

What was it like to work with Tim Burton? Tim is a phenomenal director, and I love the way he works. He has such a clear vision of what he wants the film to look like and the story he wants to tell. You see him on set and he paces a lot, just thinking, thinking, thinking. As Tim works with a lot of the same people over and over again, there is this unique language and understanding. They don’t even have to finish their sentence, because they will just know what the other person wants, and because Tim is chaotic in a way it does make the whole thing really surreal. Everything is moving around, and you’re like “what the hell is going on?” Before you know it, they’ve set up this incredible shot - he is so good.

From all the films you have done, do you have a favourite scene? You do get to do some cool stuff. I think every film I have done I’ve had scenes where I’m thinking, “wow, this is awesome, I love my job!” ‘Ender’s Game’ had a lot of those scenes, as there was a lot of zero gravity harness work. We were up in harnesses with wires pretending to be in zero gravity, flying around this massive warehouse and shooting laser guns. It’s like a boys’ dream! It is still what I dream about, so that was awesome, haha. Stunts are a lot of fun, I like to do my own if I can. There are obviously a lot of stunt men around and a lot of safety people in case things go wrong. You look back at it and watch the film and you’re like “yes” - it feels good.

What are the general challenges and benefits of growing up today? I think this generation is a lot more aware of global and political issues, thanks to the accessibility of the internet and social media, but I also think we are disconnected at the same time. It’s weird, we are more connected, but we are less connected. We spend so much time in front of the screen and we are caught up in our own image I guess. There are a lot of younger people who value the kind of material and less important things, rather than the things that should make you feel more whole as a person, such as family and real social interaction.

What makes you happy? Being around happy people. I’ve got a brilliant family, so when my familiy is happy life is good. Video games make me happy, and food goes without saying. I don’t need much to make me happy; sometimes I am most content in my pyjamas, with some food, watching a movie. I’d love to make a wildlife documentary, to go into the Amazon and spend two weeks filming monkeys. Actually anywhere, just give me some nature and I’ll film the shite out of it, because that’s my thing. I love nature and I love taking pictures. That’s my mojo.

#asa butterfield #cecilie harris #boys by girls #interview

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