Summary:Tim gets Stephanie to make herself at home at Wayne Manor. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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Being given permission to actually drive the Red Car is exciting and thrilling and the light and life are suddenly back in Steph's eyes. She follows Tim to his parking space, and settles in after putting her backpack under the vehicle's bonnet…. front trunk… trunk hood? What the heck do you CALL it when the trunk is in the front and the vroomvroom is in the back!? Ugh. Europen cars are weird. But man oh man do they sound so pretty! Stephanie readjusts mirrors and the seat before starting the engine and grinning madly.
"Ah, she's sounds even prettier from here," is cooed. A smirk at Tim, and then Stephanie backs the vehicle out, driving rahter flawlessly toward Wayne Manor. She's a bit aggressive about it, bright blue-green eyes alert and sharp, watching for holes in traffic to weave through so she doesn't have to alter her speed much at all. Not that this shaves any time of the journey but it was fun. Reaching the Manor, Stephanie pulls the car into the spot Tim normally parks then kills the engine and sinks back into the seat.
"Man! That would have been even cooler if I'd opened her up and floored it," she says, head turning toward Tim.
Hey now. The car is called the Redbird. You know, like a robin.
Tim lets out another yawn as he buckles himself in. He does watch Steph, making sure she's okay with the different layout of the dashboard and utilities. For one, it's a stick shift; for two, there are gadgets in this thing, such as the transformation between its civilian disguise and the mothafuckin Redbird. She gets the engine going, though, and he soon settles in with a smile. His eyebrows lift at her aggressive driving — jeez, they're not in that much of a hurry to get to Staten — but he doesn't feel any actual danger.
"Did just as great as I'd thought. We'll have to have you drive more often." He squeezes her knee and dips in for a kiss. "Though flooring it is for emergencies. Us getting caught speeding — and this car getting seen going at its real maximum — would just raise suspicions, you know?" Gah, he just has to be so… so… logical, doesn't he? "You wait right there." He unbuckles his seat, and hauls ass around the car to open Steph's door for her before she has the chance. Chivalry sometimes means a race.
But.. bird's fly.
Wait. Does the car FLY?!
When he suggests she drive more often, Stephanie grins. Eyes twinkling, she nods into that shared kiss, body canting forward to help close the distance. Adrenaline twinges through her veins, warming the kiss more than she had made a conscious effort for. A warm that dials back as Tim Logicks at her. Stephanie pouts.
"I -know- that, Tim. I was just saying!" is the lame arguement. Stephanie starting to huff, but Tim sidelines it by asking her to wait. Huff does not want to be sidelined, and Stephanie inahles sharply, brows furrowing and lips frowning… At least, right up until the moment that he starts to haul it around the car to get her door. The way her mouth pops open in a tiny little 'o' is more than a little comical, and her cheeks dust a pale gentle rose.
"I.. uh… oh. Thank you," she stammers, eyes blinking. It takes a moment before she clambers out.
All that acrobatics training comes in handy. Rather than needing to run, Tim could just vault across the bonnet and be right there. He smiles down at her, and offers her a hand as well. Just to complete the gesture. "Any time. Oh, but don't forget to open it up." He doesn't confirm whether it's trunk, bonnet, hood, boot, or whatever else, either; he just reminds her to open it so they can get their bags. They'll need some study material, right?
Stephanie takes Tim's offered hand, using it more for balance than to actually haul herself up with. Reminded, Stephanie opens the storage compartment (HA!), the blush slow to fade as she offers the keys back.
For a long moment after the storage is opened, Tim just smiles at her. Eventually, he kisses her cheek. "You're cute when you blush." He takes his bag, but leaves hers to her; she can handle a backpack. And would insist such if he even offered to carry it for her. "Let's get settled in, and I'll see if my brain's rebooted enough for some more study."
Kissed on the cheek and then complemented. Stephanie's blush deepens. A full second after he turns away, she hastens to follow after, reaching in for her back pack and tossing it over a shoulder. Her lower lip is chewed a bit.
"If it's not, you'll nap, right? I mean. You've got patrol don't you?" she asks, neglecting to mention that so does she.
Tim grins wickedly. Blushing makes compliments makes more blush. Such a wonderful cycle. Well, wonderful to him; she probably considers it vicious. He takes her hand as they head up towards his room. "I do. How about you? If you have patrol too, we should probably sleep togeth—" Pause. Now it's his turn to blush. "…that came out wrong."
Well, at least she's not blushing too badly anymore, now that Tim's opened mouth and insert foot. She's still blushing mind you, but she's also giggling about it, face turning to her shoulder since one hand is in his and she's not about to move it, and the other is holding her backpack strap.
"Sleep at the same time. Got it," she offers, the words boucing in her giggles.
"Right!" Tim says, his voice carrying a little bit of squeak. "Right. Like that. And… in proximity." 'Sleep at the same time and in close proximity'. Because that's not a mouthful at all, surely. While he awkwards his way through that interaction, they finish walking from garage to his home-away-from-home, and he closes the door behind him. As expected from a Wayne Manor space, the single room is probably larger than her dorm and its neighbour combined.
Stephanie giggles again at the squeak, though the blush finds itself back on her cheeks again. After all, he's clarified that by together he met 'in proximity'. Sharing a blanket? Or just a room? Maybe jus the room. She can curl up on an armchair or something.
As always when Stephanie enters the Manor, her demeanor seems to shrink. In teh cave, she's her usual self and seems unintimidated by anything. But here? In the 'civilian' part of the house? She's trying to seem smaller, refraining from touching anything. If she could fly, she'd keep from getting her dirty shoes on the carpet. In his room, which yes is larger than her dorm and her neighbor's dorm, Stephanie waits, backpack now in hand.
Tim sets his bag down beside the desk, and then notices her hovering. He reaches out to her, squeezing her arm. "Make yourself at home, love." He gives her another quick kiss, the affection an attempt at encouragement. "This is your space as well as mine, and you're always welcome. Just as much as at Drake Manor." He's not as fully a 'family member' as Helena, Damian, or even Dick; he still has another parent.
Stephanie's welcome at Drake Manor?! She nods quickly to this, though her shoulders stay up and her eyes wide.
"Yeah. Sure. Welcome," she fumbles, eyes cutting away to look about the space. Make herself at home? What's that even MEAN in a space like this? At home meant hide away in her room to avoid Dad being Dad and mom smoking out in the living room. Moving carefully, Stephanie heads toward… the desk? No, wait. He'll want to sit there. Ummm… Stephanie looks around again.
Tim, apparently, will not want to sit at the desk. He rolls the chair back, yes, but just holds it for her. This time, the chivalrous move has more meaning than just chivalry; he's actively inviting her to take that seat, and have the desk there in front of her. There's a lounge chair as well, next to the book shelf — perfect for using a laptop, while a desk is better for using actual books. It seems logical… and it brings her into an important part of 'making herself at home'.
Stephanie pauses as Tim pulls out the chair. Her eyes blink a few times before she offers Tim a tiny, shy seeming, little smile, and then she takes the chair.
"Thanks," she says softly, hand coming up to tuck a lock of hair behind an ear. There's the blush again. Her lips part to tell him that he can have the desk but… she spots the lounge chair, recalls he is using a laptop and she notebooks and… her mouth closes without another sound.
Or… maybe Tim doesn't take the chair after all. Once she's in the chair, he takes a standing position behind her — he's been sitting for a while — and gets right back to that backrub that started at the library. This time, there's no need to worry about drooling in public, because they're not in public anymore; they're behind closed doors, and she can simply soak up the attention. "You belong here. Just as much as any of us. I understand it's hard — you're not used to such a… privileged space, not used to such a positive family. But you deserve to be here every bit as much as I do." There are more important things than study. "Okay?"
Having begun to turn away, to open her bag to try to get back to studying, the hands on her shoulders stay her motions. A moan drifts from her throat as Tim's fingers find the knots again and begin to kneed them away.
He says she belongs here, and she knows that she belongs with the Team, in the Cave, where it's Work. But here? His words ease in, helped along by the gentle pressure that chases away the tension. She really isn't used to such a space, nor such a family. It's so true. Having him again welcoming her, giving her the desk to work at but kneeding out the tension from her shoulders makes her thoughts swim in the best way.
"…..Okay…." she finally whispers, head lolling to the side to rest her cheek on the back of his hand.
Tim bends over the chair, to dip down and kiss her cheek from above. "Good," he says, his voice cheerful — but he knows that just talking it out here isn't the end of it. He stays where he is, that massage working away at her stress and emphasising the welcome. "And we'll make some time with Selina and Bruce soon, so it's not just me saying it. And I'll help you talk about your, ah. Problems." Car problems, economic problems, and… so on.
Just hearing that they'll be talking about her problems makes her want to tense up again. Tim's kisses, soft voice, and skillful fingers ease it away, and Stephanie humms back into the attention.
"…Okay…" she agrees away, once more whispering.
It's a paradox. Talking it out will, hopefully, give her ways to resolve that stress… but even the thought of bringing it up is, itself, a stressor. One of those situations where it'll have to get worse before it can get better. He eases off the massage to just lean down and hug her from behind, holding her while his eyes close. And he just… doesn't say anything for a while.
Stephanie doesn't need him to. Her eyes too close, her breathing calming on a soft sigh. She brings a hand from her backpack to rest delicately on his forearm as she adjusts the lean of her head to snuggle closer to his warmth.
That simple touch, her hand on his arm, brings a smile. And he lets himself relax for a time, too, as if soaking up Stephanie helps make his lack of sleep easier. He lets out a warm, happy sigh.
Seconds, minutes, hours they lean into each other, soft sighs and shared breaths. Stepanie is the one to finally break the comfortable silence with a comfortable murmur.
"Did you want to curl up now?" Because I really don't think my brain is ready to study any more tonight, and a nap sounds really wonderful and also I don't want to leave your arms but your back is probably hurting and was some of this out loud?"
Tim pauses for a moment after the question, then nods, his cheek brushing against hers. A moment after… "Yeah, my back is getting a bit sore staying here." Oh God. If she said that part out loud, then how much came before it? Where is that quotation meant to enter? Oh God oh God. Yet, Tim just releases her and steps back, heading to sit on the bed and wait for her. They're going to sleep 'in proximity', after all.
Shit Shit Shit Shit Shit. "I said that outloud?" Stephanie squeaks behind a hand as she turns to follow Tim's retreat. There's teh blush again. Bright and seering against her cheeks and over the bridge of her nose. Still, her backpack is set to the floor by the desk and after a moment she rises gracefully to her feet to almsot tip toe toward him.
On his bed.
Because they were going to sleep together.
In that they were going to be asleep in close proximity to each other.
And maybe they will share a blanket.
Stephanie puts a hand to her lips again, just to make sure none of that was said out loud this time as she stops just inside arm's length.
Nah; to judge by Tim's response, none of that part was aloud. He just kind of… watches her, waiting for her to come join him. No, there's no confused look, no odd staring. He knows she gets like this sometimes. And now she finally comes in closer, in arm's length. He closes some of the distance to make it an easier reach, draping his arm around her, and… pulling her to lie on the bed with him, side by side. No blanket; it's a warm enough afternoon that a blanket would be more uncomfortable than pro-comfortable.
But still: close side by side, curling in together. And Tim's wakefulness starts to leech away. Jeez, he had been up late last night, hadn't he? But now he's here with Steph, and can drape with her and just… relax. Even if it's just for a nap.
Is pro-comfortable even a WORD, Tim? It feels so… whelmed.
WRapped in his embrace, Stephanie sighs into her eyes closing and her breath evening out and her bosy growing lax and still. Naps are really wonderful things.