DCU Fanfic: Insecurities
Title: Insecurities
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Steph, Roy, Tim, Connor
Pairing(s): Steph/Tim, (hopefully pre-Roy/Steph/Tim/Connor)
Word Count: 1639
Genre: general/drama
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: Tah-dah, you ask, and you shall receive. XD Sequel to Night Out and won't make much sense without it. Where Steph was during the last fic. And well, looks like this is gonna be a series. >>;; (Oh, and I had a BETA, the lovely daggerpen. <3)
Link: N/A
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“You'll still love me without Robin, right?”
“Sweetie, always.”
“...good, I...love you.”
“I love you, too, Tim. Maybe, we should get away for a while.”
“Away from Gotham?”
“Yeah, I mean...just for a while, the two of us.”
“Steph, I can't do that to my parents...”
“Sure, you can. Just make up something. You're good at that kind of thing. Are you really going to want to be in town when Batman gets a new Robin, because from what you've told me, he tends to do that.”
“...”
“Should I not have said that? Oh god, I'm sor-”
“No, you're right. Are you sure you want to leave your mom?”
“I know we talked it out, but...it's still strained.”
“...are you going to run away again, even if I don't go with you?”
“I...If you don't come with me, I won't leave town, but I think I may hit a motel again.”
“Then let's go.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I mean, normal teenagers run away all the time, right?”
“But we're anything but normal, boyfriend wonder.”
“True, but that just means we get to come back on our own time.”
“Do you have a plan already spinning in that genius brain of yours?”
“Heh, maybe. Pack up a bag and meet me at the first place we kissed.”
“Oh, Boy Romantic today, aren't you.”
“I try. See you tonight, Steph.”
“See you, Tim.”
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Steph had been watching her boyfriend, who was all dressed in total hooker drag (though quite tasteful for a hooker), from a dark corner by the bathrooms. She would have been out there with Tim to find more clues for the drug ring that led them to this almost classy strip club, but Tim obviously found a kink in their recon mission.
His name was Connor Hawke, and Steph couldn't figure out for the life of her why he was at a strip club, no matter how 'classy' it might be. Connor started chatting Tim up- well, 'Tansy' at the moment- and Steph hid so as not to blow their cover. Batman didn't even know where they had run off to, and they wanted to keep it that way.
Timothy Jackson Drake and Stephanie Brown had effectively fallen off the map. Their parents only thought they had teenage runaways on their hands. They left notes telling them they'd be all right and not to worry. It probably hadn't helped much, but when Tim said yes to running away with her, she didn’t ask questions.
Usually, running away like teenagers infatuated with the idea of being in love wouldn't be something Tim would do, and it still wasn't; he just needed away from Batman and life for a while, after the debacle that had been his sixteenth birthday. Steph knew this, and even though she had her own reasons for running away (the strain between her and her mom about her dad’s death and mourning him or not being a big factor), Tim needed this too.
They ended up on the other side of the country in another hero city, but Tim assured her that hiding in that kind of plain sight, right under a group of heroes' noses, was the way to go. That was how they got tangled up in this weird strip club.
And how she almost got them caught. “Are you okay?” a voice asked next to her, and she jumped, bumping into the wall behind her.
“I’m fine!” Steph exclaimed, feeling a little out of place even though she definitely was wearing an outfit similar to the other strippers here. “I was just...taking a break.”
The sort-of familiar man gave her a smile. “Well, if your break’s over, I’d love to have someone to talk to since my brother is being chatted up by one of other girls here,” he said charmingly, thumbing to where Connor and ‘Tansy’ were talking.
Steph tried really hard not to bite her lip because that meant this charming redhead was Arsenal, Roy Harper, and even though they’d only met once, and she had been in her full Spoiler costume, Steph was still nervous. “Sure, why not?” she told him, just going with it.
Roy grinned at her and led her to his booth. It actually gave Steph a better view of ‘Tansy’ and Connor, and luckily, Connor’s back was to them. Connor seeing her would blow everything, even though Steph wasn’t quite sure why Tim was talking to Connor anyway. That was a bit riskier than really necessary, she thought.
“That girl is a friend of yours than?” Roy asked as Steph turned back at him and blinked. “You’re staring at her.”
“Oh, yeah. Uh, she is,” Steph answered, keeping her gaze from drifting back to her boyfriend. “So, what are two good-looking men like you and your brother doing in a place like this? I doubt you two have a lack of ladies lining up just to flirt with you.”
Roy laughed at that. “My brother is pretty awkward around the ladies. They throw themselves at him all the time, and he just doesn’t notice,” he admitted, leaning back comfortably against the booth. “Like your friend is right now.”
Steph bit her lip from saying no, her boyfriend was not throwing himself at Connor, thank you very much. “She’s just...” she trailed off, looking back at ‘Tansy’ and Connor, not sure what to finish that sentence with now that she was watching them again.
“Just?” Roy questioned, slowly pulling her attention away from Connor and her dressed-in-drag boyfriend.
“Nevermind,” she murmured, slipping out of the booth. “I just remembered something. It was nice talking to you, Roy.”
“Hey, wait-!” he exclaimed after her as she slipped away.
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Back at the hotel room, Steph wasn’t sure what she was thinking. In more ways than one, since she only realized halfway inside her hotel room that she had called Roy by his name when she left, and he hadn’t given her his name. She stripped out of her ‘hooker’ wear and into one of Tim’s t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants before curling up on her side of the bed.
It wasn’t long after she had curled up in bed that the hotel room door opened, and Tim came inside, shutting the door behind him. “Steph, I saw you leave and...” he trailed off, and Steph felt the bed dip. “Is something wrong?”
Steph rolled over and faced Tim. “You should wash off your Tansy make-up,” she murmured quietly.
Tim frowned at that. “Something’s wrong,” he stated, pulling off the black wig. “Did something happen at the club?”
“Yes,” Steph blurted out. “My boyfriend was flirting with Green Arrow, that’s what happened.”
“Steph, I...” Tim cut himself off. “It was a strategic measure.”
Steph stared at him before grabbing his pillow and whacking him with it. “Really? That’s your excuse?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes, okay, maybe...I overdid it, but it’s true! The table we were sitting at was the perfect place, and I got some information on taking down the drug ring we’ve been following,” he told her.
“Is that true?” Steph asked quietly. “I mean, I was talking to Roy, and he kept saying how you were clearly flirting with Connor, and-”
Tim’s painted lips pressed against hers, cutting off what she was going to say. Steph almost pushed Tim away, but she melted into the kiss instead. Feeling lipstick against her lips that wasn’t hers was a new sensation, but it just reminded her why she wasn’t okay, so she pushed Tim away.
“Tim...” she whispered. “Kissing me isn’t going to make me unsee what I saw.”
“I know,” Tim replied, “but it was to bust the drug ring. I can even tell you the intel I acquired.”
Steph shook her head. “I know you’re not lying about that, but...do you like Connor?” she asked.
“Of course I do. He’s my friend...” he answered, trailing off. “But that’s not what you meant.”
“No,” Steph said, “it really isn’t. Tim, answer me truthfully. Do you like guys? And don’t avoid the question.”
Tim quieted, wiping the lipstick off his lips with back of his hand. “But I love you, Steph-”
“That’s avoiding the question,” she cut him off.
“I know, but I wasn’t finished,” Tim told her. “I love you, Stephanie Brown. That’s the truth. I have a crush on Connor, but he’s not you. He could never be.”
Steph stayed quiet for a moment, taking in the information. “One more question, and I’ll stop being such clingy bitch,” she stated quietly.
“Steph, you’re not-”
“Are you attracted to me?” she asked, cutting him off.
Tim stared at here for a moment, not answering right away. “Steph, I am,” he replied quietly.
“Are you sure?” Steph questioned. “And this isn’t because we haven’t had sex. It’s an honest question because... Because I know you, and...”
Shifting close to Steph, Tim put a hand on her cheek. “I want you, Steph,” he murmured. “I really do... I’ve never wanted a girl like this before.”
Steph leaned into his touch. “Guess that makes me the exception girl.”
“An exceptional girl,” he told her, and she smiled. “I was starting to miss that smile.”
Her smile grew as she stole a kiss. “Okay, all insecurities are gone now, promise,” Steph told him. “How about I help you wash the rest of that make-up off?”
Tim smiled back. “I’d like that,” he replied, rubbing at his face. “How do girls wear this all the time? Ugh.”
Steph giggled as she lead him to the bathroom, feeling a lot better about the whole night.
Fandom: DCU
Character(s): Steph, Roy, Tim, Connor
Pairing(s): Steph/Tim, (hopefully pre-Roy/Steph/Tim/Connor)
Word Count: 1639
Genre: general/drama
Rating: PG-13/T
Notes: Tah-dah, you ask, and you shall receive. XD Sequel to Night Out and won't make much sense without it. Where Steph was during the last fic. And well, looks like this is gonna be a series. >>;; (Oh, and I had a BETA, the lovely daggerpen. <3)
Link: N/A
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
“You'll still love me without Robin, right?”
“Sweetie, always.”
“...good, I...love you.”
“I love you, too, Tim. Maybe, we should get away for a while.”
“Away from Gotham?”
“Yeah, I mean...just for a while, the two of us.”
“Steph, I can't do that to my parents...”
“Sure, you can. Just make up something. You're good at that kind of thing. Are you really going to want to be in town when Batman gets a new Robin, because from what you've told me, he tends to do that.”
“...”
“Should I not have said that? Oh god, I'm sor-”
“No, you're right. Are you sure you want to leave your mom?”
“I know we talked it out, but...it's still strained.”
“...are you going to run away again, even if I don't go with you?”
“I...If you don't come with me, I won't leave town, but I think I may hit a motel again.”
“Then let's go.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, I mean, normal teenagers run away all the time, right?”
“But we're anything but normal, boyfriend wonder.”
“True, but that just means we get to come back on our own time.”
“Do you have a plan already spinning in that genius brain of yours?”
“Heh, maybe. Pack up a bag and meet me at the first place we kissed.”
“Oh, Boy Romantic today, aren't you.”
“I try. See you tonight, Steph.”
“See you, Tim.”
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Steph had been watching her boyfriend, who was all dressed in total hooker drag (though quite tasteful for a hooker), from a dark corner by the bathrooms. She would have been out there with Tim to find more clues for the drug ring that led them to this almost classy strip club, but Tim obviously found a kink in their recon mission.
His name was Connor Hawke, and Steph couldn't figure out for the life of her why he was at a strip club, no matter how 'classy' it might be. Connor started chatting Tim up- well, 'Tansy' at the moment- and Steph hid so as not to blow their cover. Batman didn't even know where they had run off to, and they wanted to keep it that way.
Timothy Jackson Drake and Stephanie Brown had effectively fallen off the map. Their parents only thought they had teenage runaways on their hands. They left notes telling them they'd be all right and not to worry. It probably hadn't helped much, but when Tim said yes to running away with her, she didn’t ask questions.
Usually, running away like teenagers infatuated with the idea of being in love wouldn't be something Tim would do, and it still wasn't; he just needed away from Batman and life for a while, after the debacle that had been his sixteenth birthday. Steph knew this, and even though she had her own reasons for running away (the strain between her and her mom about her dad’s death and mourning him or not being a big factor), Tim needed this too.
They ended up on the other side of the country in another hero city, but Tim assured her that hiding in that kind of plain sight, right under a group of heroes' noses, was the way to go. That was how they got tangled up in this weird strip club.
And how she almost got them caught. “Are you okay?” a voice asked next to her, and she jumped, bumping into the wall behind her.
“I’m fine!” Steph exclaimed, feeling a little out of place even though she definitely was wearing an outfit similar to the other strippers here. “I was just...taking a break.”
The sort-of familiar man gave her a smile. “Well, if your break’s over, I’d love to have someone to talk to since my brother is being chatted up by one of other girls here,” he said charmingly, thumbing to where Connor and ‘Tansy’ were talking.
Steph tried really hard not to bite her lip because that meant this charming redhead was Arsenal, Roy Harper, and even though they’d only met once, and she had been in her full Spoiler costume, Steph was still nervous. “Sure, why not?” she told him, just going with it.
Roy grinned at her and led her to his booth. It actually gave Steph a better view of ‘Tansy’ and Connor, and luckily, Connor’s back was to them. Connor seeing her would blow everything, even though Steph wasn’t quite sure why Tim was talking to Connor anyway. That was a bit riskier than really necessary, she thought.
“That girl is a friend of yours than?” Roy asked as Steph turned back at him and blinked. “You’re staring at her.”
“Oh, yeah. Uh, she is,” Steph answered, keeping her gaze from drifting back to her boyfriend. “So, what are two good-looking men like you and your brother doing in a place like this? I doubt you two have a lack of ladies lining up just to flirt with you.”
Roy laughed at that. “My brother is pretty awkward around the ladies. They throw themselves at him all the time, and he just doesn’t notice,” he admitted, leaning back comfortably against the booth. “Like your friend is right now.”
Steph bit her lip from saying no, her boyfriend was not throwing himself at Connor, thank you very much. “She’s just...” she trailed off, looking back at ‘Tansy’ and Connor, not sure what to finish that sentence with now that she was watching them again.
“Just?” Roy questioned, slowly pulling her attention away from Connor and her dressed-in-drag boyfriend.
“Nevermind,” she murmured, slipping out of the booth. “I just remembered something. It was nice talking to you, Roy.”
“Hey, wait-!” he exclaimed after her as she slipped away.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Back at the hotel room, Steph wasn’t sure what she was thinking. In more ways than one, since she only realized halfway inside her hotel room that she had called Roy by his name when she left, and he hadn’t given her his name. She stripped out of her ‘hooker’ wear and into one of Tim’s t-shirts and a pair of sweatpants before curling up on her side of the bed.
It wasn’t long after she had curled up in bed that the hotel room door opened, and Tim came inside, shutting the door behind him. “Steph, I saw you leave and...” he trailed off, and Steph felt the bed dip. “Is something wrong?”
Steph rolled over and faced Tim. “You should wash off your Tansy make-up,” she murmured quietly.
Tim frowned at that. “Something’s wrong,” he stated, pulling off the black wig. “Did something happen at the club?”
“Yes,” Steph blurted out. “My boyfriend was flirting with Green Arrow, that’s what happened.”
“Steph, I...” Tim cut himself off. “It was a strategic measure.”
Steph stared at him before grabbing his pillow and whacking him with it. “Really? That’s your excuse?” she asked incredulously.
“Yes, okay, maybe...I overdid it, but it’s true! The table we were sitting at was the perfect place, and I got some information on taking down the drug ring we’ve been following,” he told her.
“Is that true?” Steph asked quietly. “I mean, I was talking to Roy, and he kept saying how you were clearly flirting with Connor, and-”
Tim’s painted lips pressed against hers, cutting off what she was going to say. Steph almost pushed Tim away, but she melted into the kiss instead. Feeling lipstick against her lips that wasn’t hers was a new sensation, but it just reminded her why she wasn’t okay, so she pushed Tim away.
“Tim...” she whispered. “Kissing me isn’t going to make me unsee what I saw.”
“I know,” Tim replied, “but it was to bust the drug ring. I can even tell you the intel I acquired.”
Steph shook her head. “I know you’re not lying about that, but...do you like Connor?” she asked.
“Of course I do. He’s my friend...” he answered, trailing off. “But that’s not what you meant.”
“No,” Steph said, “it really isn’t. Tim, answer me truthfully. Do you like guys? And don’t avoid the question.”
Tim quieted, wiping the lipstick off his lips with back of his hand. “But I love you, Steph-”
“That’s avoiding the question,” she cut him off.
“I know, but I wasn’t finished,” Tim told her. “I love you, Stephanie Brown. That’s the truth. I have a crush on Connor, but he’s not you. He could never be.”
Steph stayed quiet for a moment, taking in the information. “One more question, and I’ll stop being such clingy bitch,” she stated quietly.
“Steph, you’re not-”
“Are you attracted to me?” she asked, cutting him off.
Tim stared at here for a moment, not answering right away. “Steph, I am,” he replied quietly.
“Are you sure?” Steph questioned. “And this isn’t because we haven’t had sex. It’s an honest question because... Because I know you, and...”
Shifting close to Steph, Tim put a hand on her cheek. “I want you, Steph,” he murmured. “I really do... I’ve never wanted a girl like this before.”
Steph leaned into his touch. “Guess that makes me the exception girl.”
“An exceptional girl,” he told her, and she smiled. “I was starting to miss that smile.”
Her smile grew as she stole a kiss. “Okay, all insecurities are gone now, promise,” Steph told him. “How about I help you wash the rest of that make-up off?”
Tim smiled back. “I’d like that,” he replied, rubbing at his face. “How do girls wear this all the time? Ugh.”
Steph giggled as she lead him to the bathroom, feeling a lot better about the whole night.