Coffee Date with Cissie, Tim... And Tim?
Tim led his younger self toward the coffee shop where he had planned to meet Cissie. Of course, when they'd made those plans, he hadn't exactly planned on having a tagalong, but... it was hardly his mini-me's fault that he'd landed in this universe.
"So where are we going?" he asked.
"Coffee shop. To meet my girlfriend."
"Can I have coffee?"
Tim raised an eyebrow. "Are you allowed to at home?"
"Not... exactly," he hedged.
"Then why should I say yes?"
"Because you're me, and you're cool like that?"
Tim laughed and held the door opened for him. "We'll see."
Cissie was waiting at their usual table in the back corner, watching for him. She grinned when she saw Tim and then blinked in surprise when she saw who was with him. "Hey," she said, standing as they approached. "Have you been time traveling again?"
He laughed, pushing his younger self into one of the chairs. "Not exactly," he said, leaning to give Cissie kiss. "Mini-me's universe hopping."
The younger Tim made a face. "I'm not 'mini.' I'm Tim. But I guess it's okay if you call me 'Timmy' so you don't mix me up with him." He nodded to his older counterpart.
Cissie laughed and squeezed Tim's hand, sitting back down. "Well, you're right. If he doesn't mind being called Timmy, he's definitely not you," she said to him. She turned to the younger boy and smiled. "I'm Cissie. How did you wind up here?"
"Magic," he said with a quick grin.
"Ew." She wrinkled her nose. "I guess it wasn't on purpose?"
"Not exactly. I got too close to something Jason Blood was doing and..." He let his voice trail off, shrugging a little. He glanced at his older self. How much did Cissie know, anyway?
"Bruce found him," Tim finished for him. "He ran some tests to make sure he was who he said he was."
Cissie gave a short laugh. "That sounds about right." She looked between them and shook her head. "This is very weird, you know."
Tim raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me?" he teased. He stood up, glancing at the menu board. "Anyone else want anything?"
"Coffee with espresso?" the younger Tim asked hopefully.
"...How about just a coffee."
He sighed. "Fine."
Tim grinned. "But I'll get you a medium instead of a small."
Cissie laughed at them. "Chai latte, please. I won't make you order me anything too embarrassing."
He laughed a little. "You know I'll order it even if it is silly."
"I know," she said, and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "Thank you. But I feel like chai."
"All right." He went up to the counter to place the order, leaving Cissie alone with the younger Tim, who was looking at her curiously.
"So you're his girlfriend?"
She nodded, smiling at him. "I am. We've been friends for a long time, though." She looked at him curiously. "I don't think we were much older than you, actually. How old are you?"
"Fourteen. Do you know about his... stuff?" He didn't want to say the R word in public, but it seemed like she knew about it. At least, she hadn't asked any questions about Bruce testing him to make sure he was who he said he was.
Cissie laughed at his directness. "I do. That's how we met. We had a... club."
"A club?" he asked doubtfully. "Like... like the Jump City crew?" He hated talking in code.
She frowned. "Yeah. A club. But... I've never heard of Jump City."
He frowned. "But--" he lowered his voice so that it was just above a whisper. "It's where the Teen Titans were based."
She hummed thoughtfully. "Huh. They've been in New York and San Francisco here. But yeah, something like that."
"Huh." He glanced up at Tim as he sat back down, holding three paper cups. "Your world is weird."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Cissie said your Teen Titans work out of New York or San Francisco. Ours worked out of Jump City. Even your geography is wrong. Why do I have to go to school again?"
"Because Bruce is making you," Tim said, setting a paper cup in front of Cissie and his younger self.
Cissie thanked him and frowned. "He's making you go to school?"
"Yes." The younger Tim gave her an aggrieved look. "And who ever heard of President Luthor, anyway? In my world, he went nuts before the election and kind of merged with Brainiac and tried to kill the Justice League."
Cissie blinked. "Wow. That's... really different."
"I know." He sighed pitifully. "I'm going to be so messed up when I get home."
She winced. "Ew, yeah. That could get confusing."
Tim bit down on a grin. "He's been sulking about the school thing ever since Bruce brought it up."
Cissie laughed. "I don't know that I really blame him."
"I'm not sulking," the younger Tim muttered. "It's just stupid. Going to school when I'm in the wrong universe."
"I would be sulking," Cissie said with a laugh, sipping at her drink. "That has to make anything that's not math or science difficult, if things are really that different where you're from."
He wrinkled his nose. "Tell me about it. I never thought I'd miss my school."
She shook her head, amused. "Maybe you'll appreciate it more now. And hopefully you'll be able to get back there soon."
He shrugged a little. He wasn't going to think about how much he missed his own universe right now. Things were going fine. "That'd be good."
Cissie watched him, then looked at Tim. "So I guess things have been kind of exciting lately, huh?"
"Uh huh," Tim agreed, giving her a wry little smile. "He showed up last night. It was... interesting."
She gave a dry laugh. "I can only imagine. I'm sure they broke out the Welcome Wagon."
Tim snorted. "Something like that. Dick stopped by. It was practically a family reunion."
Cissie let out a low whistle. "Wow. And just when I thought things were exciting enough..."
"With the guest in the basement?" Tim asked, making a face. "Yeah, he was part of the welcome wagon, too."
She looked at him sharply. "Wait. Really? He's still there, right?" She glanced at Timmy, frowning deeply and setting her jaw. "No one tried to make you stay down there, did they?"
The younger Tim shrugged. "I guess he's still there. And no one even suggested keeping me down in the--basement." He scoffed a little. "Like I would let them."
Cissie relaxed back into her seat and smirked at him. "Good. And if you're anything like Tim, I think they would have a hard time trying, that's for sure."
"Duh," he said, grinning back at her.
She laughed and grinned at Tim. "He does remind me of you when we were about that age."
He grinned a little, and gave her a sheepish smile. "Maybe," he admitted. "I guess that makes sense, though. Since we share DNA."
She nodded and shrugged. "True. Though DNA isn't everything--look at who Kon shares his DNA with."
"...Point," Tim agreed with a little laugh.
The younger Tim frowned at both of them. "Who's Kon?"
"Superboy," Tim replied giving him a curious look. "I'd met him by the time I was your age."
He shrugged a little. "Maybe he's not in my world. I've never met him. I've never even heard of him."
Cissie made a thoughtful noise. "Maybe he's just not around yet?"
"I hope so," the older Tim said. "For your sake, I mean. Kon's one of my closest friends."
Cissie nodded in agreement. "Things would be very boring without Kon, that's for sure."
"You really think things ever have the chance to get boring?" he asked, laughing a little. "I mean--I'm in another universe."
Cissie laughed. "I guess you have a point. But still, I do hope you get to meet him where you're from."
"Me too." Tim made a face. "There's not much of a community for people my age where I'm from, if you know what I mean."
Cissie gave him a sympathetic smile. "That sucks. But maybe that will change. We didn't really all meet up until we were fifteen."
"...That's another year for me." He grinned. "So--there's hope."
"Definitely," she said with a grin. She reached over and ruffled his hair, taking a sip of her chai. "Your coffee's going to get cold, though."
"Oh--right." He turned his attention back toward his coffee, hiding his grin. He didn't normally go for the hair-ruffling thing, but... His other self's girlfriend was kinda cute.
Tim glanced at Cissie, grinning. "So--I know we were going to hit the art museum today, but... I'm pretty sure Timmy here would die dramatically of boredom. What do you think about a movie?"
Cissie laughed. There was also the fact that the art museum was mostly a good excuse for a lot of hand-holding and making out, and the making out would be awkward in front of Tim's younger double. "Well, we certainly can't have that. A movie sounds great."
The younger Tim's eyes lit up. "I saw a poster for Exploding Explosions Four on the way here. Can we see that?"
Cissie winced and looked at Tim. "He really is you."
They grinned at each other, and the older Tim shrugged. "I think I'm okay with that."
OOC Note: Takes place on little!Tim's first day of school, before he visits Jason in the Cave
"So where are we going?" he asked.
"Coffee shop. To meet my girlfriend."
"Can I have coffee?"
Tim raised an eyebrow. "Are you allowed to at home?"
"Not... exactly," he hedged.
"Then why should I say yes?"
"Because you're me, and you're cool like that?"
Tim laughed and held the door opened for him. "We'll see."
Cissie was waiting at their usual table in the back corner, watching for him. She grinned when she saw Tim and then blinked in surprise when she saw who was with him. "Hey," she said, standing as they approached. "Have you been time traveling again?"
He laughed, pushing his younger self into one of the chairs. "Not exactly," he said, leaning to give Cissie kiss. "Mini-me's universe hopping."
The younger Tim made a face. "I'm not 'mini.' I'm Tim. But I guess it's okay if you call me 'Timmy' so you don't mix me up with him." He nodded to his older counterpart.
Cissie laughed and squeezed Tim's hand, sitting back down. "Well, you're right. If he doesn't mind being called Timmy, he's definitely not you," she said to him. She turned to the younger boy and smiled. "I'm Cissie. How did you wind up here?"
"Magic," he said with a quick grin.
"Ew." She wrinkled her nose. "I guess it wasn't on purpose?"
"Not exactly. I got too close to something Jason Blood was doing and..." He let his voice trail off, shrugging a little. He glanced at his older self. How much did Cissie know, anyway?
"Bruce found him," Tim finished for him. "He ran some tests to make sure he was who he said he was."
Cissie gave a short laugh. "That sounds about right." She looked between them and shook her head. "This is very weird, you know."
Tim raised an eyebrow. "You're telling me?" he teased. He stood up, glancing at the menu board. "Anyone else want anything?"
"Coffee with espresso?" the younger Tim asked hopefully.
"...How about just a coffee."
He sighed. "Fine."
Tim grinned. "But I'll get you a medium instead of a small."
Cissie laughed at them. "Chai latte, please. I won't make you order me anything too embarrassing."
He laughed a little. "You know I'll order it even if it is silly."
"I know," she said, and pulled him down for a quick kiss. "Thank you. But I feel like chai."
"All right." He went up to the counter to place the order, leaving Cissie alone with the younger Tim, who was looking at her curiously.
"So you're his girlfriend?"
She nodded, smiling at him. "I am. We've been friends for a long time, though." She looked at him curiously. "I don't think we were much older than you, actually. How old are you?"
"Fourteen. Do you know about his... stuff?" He didn't want to say the R word in public, but it seemed like she knew about it. At least, she hadn't asked any questions about Bruce testing him to make sure he was who he said he was.
Cissie laughed at his directness. "I do. That's how we met. We had a... club."
"A club?" he asked doubtfully. "Like... like the Jump City crew?" He hated talking in code.
She frowned. "Yeah. A club. But... I've never heard of Jump City."
He frowned. "But--" he lowered his voice so that it was just above a whisper. "It's where the Teen Titans were based."
She hummed thoughtfully. "Huh. They've been in New York and San Francisco here. But yeah, something like that."
"Huh." He glanced up at Tim as he sat back down, holding three paper cups. "Your world is weird."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Cissie said your Teen Titans work out of New York or San Francisco. Ours worked out of Jump City. Even your geography is wrong. Why do I have to go to school again?"
"Because Bruce is making you," Tim said, setting a paper cup in front of Cissie and his younger self.
Cissie thanked him and frowned. "He's making you go to school?"
"Yes." The younger Tim gave her an aggrieved look. "And who ever heard of President Luthor, anyway? In my world, he went nuts before the election and kind of merged with Brainiac and tried to kill the Justice League."
Cissie blinked. "Wow. That's... really different."
"I know." He sighed pitifully. "I'm going to be so messed up when I get home."
She winced. "Ew, yeah. That could get confusing."
Tim bit down on a grin. "He's been sulking about the school thing ever since Bruce brought it up."
Cissie laughed. "I don't know that I really blame him."
"I'm not sulking," the younger Tim muttered. "It's just stupid. Going to school when I'm in the wrong universe."
"I would be sulking," Cissie said with a laugh, sipping at her drink. "That has to make anything that's not math or science difficult, if things are really that different where you're from."
He wrinkled his nose. "Tell me about it. I never thought I'd miss my school."
She shook her head, amused. "Maybe you'll appreciate it more now. And hopefully you'll be able to get back there soon."
He shrugged a little. He wasn't going to think about how much he missed his own universe right now. Things were going fine. "That'd be good."
Cissie watched him, then looked at Tim. "So I guess things have been kind of exciting lately, huh?"
"Uh huh," Tim agreed, giving her a wry little smile. "He showed up last night. It was... interesting."
She gave a dry laugh. "I can only imagine. I'm sure they broke out the Welcome Wagon."
Tim snorted. "Something like that. Dick stopped by. It was practically a family reunion."
Cissie let out a low whistle. "Wow. And just when I thought things were exciting enough..."
"With the guest in the basement?" Tim asked, making a face. "Yeah, he was part of the welcome wagon, too."
She looked at him sharply. "Wait. Really? He's still there, right?" She glanced at Timmy, frowning deeply and setting her jaw. "No one tried to make you stay down there, did they?"
The younger Tim shrugged. "I guess he's still there. And no one even suggested keeping me down in the--basement." He scoffed a little. "Like I would let them."
Cissie relaxed back into her seat and smirked at him. "Good. And if you're anything like Tim, I think they would have a hard time trying, that's for sure."
"Duh," he said, grinning back at her.
She laughed and grinned at Tim. "He does remind me of you when we were about that age."
He grinned a little, and gave her a sheepish smile. "Maybe," he admitted. "I guess that makes sense, though. Since we share DNA."
She nodded and shrugged. "True. Though DNA isn't everything--look at who Kon shares his DNA with."
"...Point," Tim agreed with a little laugh.
The younger Tim frowned at both of them. "Who's Kon?"
"Superboy," Tim replied giving him a curious look. "I'd met him by the time I was your age."
He shrugged a little. "Maybe he's not in my world. I've never met him. I've never even heard of him."
Cissie made a thoughtful noise. "Maybe he's just not around yet?"
"I hope so," the older Tim said. "For your sake, I mean. Kon's one of my closest friends."
Cissie nodded in agreement. "Things would be very boring without Kon, that's for sure."
"You really think things ever have the chance to get boring?" he asked, laughing a little. "I mean--I'm in another universe."
Cissie laughed. "I guess you have a point. But still, I do hope you get to meet him where you're from."
"Me too." Tim made a face. "There's not much of a community for people my age where I'm from, if you know what I mean."
Cissie gave him a sympathetic smile. "That sucks. But maybe that will change. We didn't really all meet up until we were fifteen."
"...That's another year for me." He grinned. "So--there's hope."
"Definitely," she said with a grin. She reached over and ruffled his hair, taking a sip of her chai. "Your coffee's going to get cold, though."
"Oh--right." He turned his attention back toward his coffee, hiding his grin. He didn't normally go for the hair-ruffling thing, but... His other self's girlfriend was kinda cute.
Tim glanced at Cissie, grinning. "So--I know we were going to hit the art museum today, but... I'm pretty sure Timmy here would die dramatically of boredom. What do you think about a movie?"
Cissie laughed. There was also the fact that the art museum was mostly a good excuse for a lot of hand-holding and making out, and the making out would be awkward in front of Tim's younger double. "Well, we certainly can't have that. A movie sounds great."
The younger Tim's eyes lit up. "I saw a poster for Exploding Explosions Four on the way here. Can we see that?"
Cissie winced and looked at Tim. "He really is you."
They grinned at each other, and the older Tim shrugged. "I think I'm okay with that."
OOC Note: Takes place on little!Tim's first day of school, before he visits Jason in the Cave