ficlet: "But Really Good for Some" | Wee!Tim Drake, Jack Drake | g
Title: “But Really Good For Some”
Fandom: DCU - Wee!Tim Drake and Jack Drake
Rating: G
Notes: This is a reflection of this panel between Tim and his Dad, Jack (no spoilers - but it is a panel from RR 26). Tim just looks so happy to have attention from his Dad and Jack… he can’t even spare a look, a hug for his kid? All I can even think about is, ‘Jack if you don’t pay attention to your kid, he’s going to start stalking Bats, okay?’
Once again, comments are always appreciated. <3
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His parents had been back in Gotham for two days before Jack asked Tim if he wanted to see what they had been excavating for two months off the coast of South America. What his dad was so excited about.
“When you’re in a race against other archaeologists, Tim, the easiest thing to predict is human nature.” Jack Drake’s smart blue eyes never left the artifact sitting in front of them. “You can always count on bad people making dumb decisions.”
While Tim listened, he shuffled closer to his dad, closer to the statue no more than ten inches tall. Ten inches took thirty to find.
The shirt Jack wore was clean, but it had been lined dried off the beaches of Ecuador and the bright sun had bleached the linen to a stark contrast with the dark tan on his Dad’s face. A tan that made his grin whiter and eyes sparkle. Tim subtly shifted closer to the man, just enough so that the fabric from his cotton sweatshirt brushed up against his dad’s elbow.
Tim snuck a glance over to be sure that his dad’s eyes were still trained on his treasure before he leaned in a little more, tilted his neck and down and breathed in deep, catching the scent of sunlight and clean sweat - the unmistakably earthy smell of the sunblock the man favored. His dad smelled like adventure and far away places. The smell of Gotham was never on his Dad’s clothes or his skin for long.
Jack’s hand reached out to touch the wooden platform that the small artifact was presented on, hand thumbed gently over the plaque at the center of it. Name, carbon date, and the name of the Research Team were all neatly engraved in a platinum sheet of metal. And as Jack’s eyes drank in the statue, the podium the name plate, Tim knew that his dad was excited about this one- more so than the others. That this is what he coveted.
Without turning to Tim, Jack casually brushed Tim’s hand off the display with his own large, a calloused one. Tim’s heart fluttered in his his chest and he dropped his arms to his side, running his hands against the sides of his jeans slowly while he watched his Dad smile at the funny bird-statue again, even brighter.
“-And that’s when your old man makes his move and claims the prize, Tim.” He stepped away from where he was standing with Tim and move to the side, taking in the artifact from the side with a critical eye.
Tim smiled when his dad did. And he learned that the Prize was most important, although sometimes not letting other people take it was just *as* important, it was very far away and would take a long time to get and that it shouldn’t be touched by him.
-fin