Summary:Tim tells Stephanie about Jacyn's reappearance and his new identity's creation. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
Related LogsTheme SongNone |
  |
Lately — seemingly ever since they'd suggested she come to Wayne Manor, and been shot down — it's been harder to get time with Stephanie. Perhaps she's throwing herself more into work, given that college piles it up on her. She needs to stay in 'good academic standing' for the sake of her scholarships, so nobody can fault her for spending more time on that.
But now Tim's managed to get her to swing by. Not to the Cave for patrol, but to the Manor for a visit, up at the rooms set aside for him. In the intervening time, they have at least got her car working again; she can come and go as she pleases, rather than rely on Tim.
Tim sits at the desk in his room, slowly tapping his foot while he listens for her arrival. Or is she going to sneak in this time?
Sneak? In this house? Fool's Idea.
Stephanie makes her way in, a little later than the appointed time. Backpack over her shoulder, the blonde knocks softly before opening the door enough to almost peek in.
"Tim?" she calls out. She knows he's probably waiting for her, but this isn't her space. It's awkward to barge into someone's private space without a Very Good Reason. She has one: Tim invited her. And yet, she still knocks, she still peeks, and she still calls out to alert him.
Tim chin jerks up when he hears the knock, and looks around towards it. "Come in, Steph," he says before she's peeked in. Because of course he can recognise her by the pattern of her knocking. And that gives her the invitation she needs to enter, while he gets out of his seat and comes towards her, greeting her immediately with an arm around her shoulders. "Have you heard?" Heard what, exactly? That's a bit vague.
New invitation received, Stephanie makes her way in, closing the door behind her. Wrapped in his one-armed embrace, Stephanie leans into his warmth. She lets her eyes close, inhaling the gentle scent of his cologne. Her backpack slips from her shoulder and into her hand before being set to the floor at her feet.
"Heard? About what?" she asks, voice slightly muffled by his shirt.
Tim closes his eyes, just leaning into her and soaking up her presence. He's been jittery for a while now, ever since he'd first heard about it; now he has the comfort of Stephanie right there. "Jacyn," he murmurs. "Jacyn Todd. The second Robin." The one who died. "Someone who looks a lot like her has turned up. Oracle says it's a 95% match."
Jittery Tim is a new Tim to Stephanie. She brings her now free hand up to fist the shirt by his ribs.
"Anything I can do?" is offered immediately. Swamped with school work, midterms, and the creation of a student Winter Line project, Stephanie STILL offers to do more.
"Hug me for a while longer?" he says, a slightly joking note in his tone. "And at some point… we might encounter her again, and we absolutely should not meet her one on one. I might drag you into that. Safety in numbers." He's not going to tell her to stay out of it. His approach is the opposite. "Other than that, I just… wanted to make sure you knew." He kisses her forehead.
"As long as you want," Stephanie replies, meeting Tim's slight joke with utter seriousness. A slight shift settles Stephanie more satisfactorily into Tim's embrace. (Almost had some epic alliteration. Ah, well.) She somehow manages not to sigh too loudly at the kiss to her forehead.
"Deal. Are patrols paired up now, or is that something we're expected to sort out for ourselves?"
Tim blushes softly at that reply, and turns to drape his other arm over her shoulders in a fuller Timbrace. (It's not alliteration, but it's still wordplay.) "There's a tentative schedule up now, but nothing set in stone. Just make sure you're not going out by yourself, and not letting others do it, either." He sighs, his eyes closing. There's more to discuss, but for now… he just holds her.
"Okay. I can do that," Stephanie agrees, content to just stand there in his arms.
"Thanks, again. For helping me with my car," she murmurs after a bit, fishing for conversation, for a way to have him talk again; the rumble of his voice soothing.
"Always," Tim says. "It's what we do." It's not just about Tim helping Stephanie. Damian helped too, and the Bat Family's funds gathered the parts they needed. It was about the family coming together.
A memory clicks. "Oh, but there is something else I wanted to show you." He crab-shuffles with her, walking towards the desk and his laptop without breaking the embrace. "Little something Oracle's been helping me with."
On the screen is a short social media history for one 'Alvin Draper'. To her, it's clear that the profile pictures are Tim. But… they're Tim with red hair, freckles, green eyes, and a slightly longer nose.
Stephanie giggles softly at the walk, shuffling with Tim and leaving her backpack by the door. It still felt odd, having so much help with the car. She's still got to say thank you to Damian. It's polite, even if he's not. As for the parts, Stephanie is doing her level best not to think about it, not to let it weigh on her. So, she turns her attention to the profile.
"…..You… look weird as a red-head," she comments. Maybe she's got a type.
Tim smirks at that comment. "Hey, you suggested it. So I made sure it'd be part of the disguise. We've been working to get it established — some practice with the makeup part of the disguise, Helena made me a holo-mask for when I need to change quickly, and Barbara's doing the digital trail. Alvin Draper, a man who moved up here to get away from his family and be with a girlfriend who has since dumped him. And…" Deep breath. "…I've been thinking he should get his own place. It'd look good on the paper trail if Alvin Draper has an actual address and…" Another deep breath. You can do this, Tim. "…maybe a roommate."
She didn't end up getting her own room in Wayne Manor. But maybe she can get out of the dorms another way.
Stephanie chuckles. Yes, she did. But that's because… he looks not like himself with read hair. It would give him the most departure. Grinning slightly, she keeps reading the profile, nodding her head at the little details that make a life seem lived.
"Yeah. A roommate would be good, on paper. But you need to be careful that he doesn't catch on," Stephanie cautions oh so helpfully. It doesn't seem to occur to her that he's asking anything.
Tim gives her a hard look. "I was thinking more like a 'she'. You know, the kind of gorgeous blonde that any young man would be lucky to have living with him." That's either going to make his meaning clear, or dig a hole for him.
Here's your shovel.
"Oh." Flat. "Right." Flatter. Stephanie blinks once then turns from the computer screen, turning back toward her backpack.
"Yes. That's… a good idea…" It really isn't, but it's just a cover identity. No reason to be jealous at all. Of course he'll pick a gorgeous air-headed blone. She won't notice and she'll be a good distraction for any neighbors.
Still, it stings.
Tim notices that tone, sees that blink, and he sees where this is going. He blushes, but… there's exactly one chance to get through this. "I'm talking about you, Steph. Do you want to move in with me?" Cards laid on the table. It sometimes feels a little strange to work directly rather than through inference, but it's good for him.
Wait for it.
Stephanie stops cold. She blinks as her mind processes what Tim just - "Did you just ask me to move in with you?"
Stephanie rounds on her boyfriend. Her brows furrowed, head tilted, lips in a line.
Tim fidgets, hands in front of him. Yep, cards all on the table, ball in her court, and the bases are loaded. …he's not even sure which sport this is meant to be. His cheeks flush hotter while he ducks his chin. "Yes. I-If you'd like to."
Stephanie's eyes flick all over Tim's face, from his nervous eyes to his flushed cheeks to his chin being tucked down. 'He… really means it. I… i've never lived with anyone… How's this supposed to work? He won't BE Tim, will he? Would it get confusing?' Stephanie pressed her lips together, making sure that she didn't blurt out anything until:
"We're going to have to be careful not to mix up which you I'm actually dating, or it'll blow your cover."
Tim's eyes widen, and his breath stills for a moment. Did she just… well, she didn't say yes, but she did imply it a little, right? "Or people will think you're two-timing me," Tim says. "Which… could be kind of funny, but would mostly be bad. But I think you'd be living with Alvin, and still just dating Tim."
Stephanie nods at Tim's clarification. She didn't say yes, but she basically implied agreement. It was a tacit yes.
"Okay. We should probably do this the long way. Get the apartment, then put a post for a roommate for me to respond to," Stephanie says. Because that's how it's done, right? At least, that's what she's seen of flyers on the dorm bulletin boards.
Tim smiles. He steps in towards her and takes both her hands. "Right. Alvin could be 'just moving into a new place', and be after someone to help with rent. Although…" He squeezes her fingers. "You haven't exactly said yes yet."
She hadn't had she? But Tim said rent, and Stephanie's cheeks, already coloring, flush quickly.
"Yes… But that portion's going to have to stay at what I'm paying for the dorms…." Otherwise….
Tim lifts her hands with both of his own… and pokes her with a finger. "That's just the cover, Steph. You already have enough else on your plate. And if I'm getting a place of my own, I just plain want you to be there."
Poked! Stephanie huffs on a squeak, eyes narrowing slightly.
"I don't want to seem like I'm mooching-" she starts, back to that independent stubborn streak.
"We'll work something out," Tim says. "Find a place with an affordable rent — makes it more believable for Alvin — and you can pay a fair portion of it." He smirks. "Maybe Alvin's the kind of guy who gives his roommate an 'eye candy' discount." He prepares to duck and dodge, if she smacks him one for that.
It's only because he was ready for the smack that Stephanie doesn't fully connect with the bap to his upper arm. Her cheeks are still blushing, but at least the twinkle remains in her gaze.
"Sounds like Alvin and I will need to have a conversation about that, then," she retorts, a smirk blooming.