Friend or Foe?

Chapter 11

It's a peaceful Sunday morning and Damian sits at his desk sketching some animals while listening to some peaceful music, trying not to think of anything that could diminish his mood. Out of the corner of his eye he notices Titus lift his head towards the door. Damian removes one of his earbuds and turns his attention to the door. "Hey brat, you there?" comes the voice of his older brother on the other side of the door. Damian sighs, pauses his music, and puts his earbuds away before lifting himself from his chair.

Damian heads over to his door and opens it to reveal the older male on the other side. Damian's expression forms into a sour expression. "Hey brat, go get ready, I'm taking you out." Tim states nonchalantly. "What the fuck are you talking about Drake?" Damian replies with an irritated expression. Tim rolls his eyes, "You heard me. Be ready in 15 minutes, if not, I'm coming back and dragging you out with your pajamas on." Tim states sternly. Damian glares at him. "You can't just force me to go with you." Damian states defensively.

"Bruce hasn't let you out of the house in a week, are you really going to pass this chance up?" Tim questions, leaning against the doorframe of Damian's room with an eyebrow raised. Damian just rolls his eyes and scoffs a bit. "That's what I thought." Tim states before lifting himself from his leaning position and walking off.

Damian shuts his door before sighing and heading to his closet to pick out some decent clothes. Not long after getting ready, Damian exits his room and heads down the stairs to find Tim on his phone, waiting for him at the bottom. Tim lifts his gaze from his phone as he notices Damian looking at him with an unamused expression. "Wow, I wasn't actually sure you'd come." Tim states as he places his phone in his back pocket. Damian rolls his eyes. "Where are we even going?" Damian inquires.

Tim shrugs a bit and begins to make his way to the garage. Damian scoffs, "You can't expect me to just go with you. I am aware you are a bit brain-dead, but I would have thought that you at least had the decency to inform me of our destination." Damian states in an unamused or irritated tone as he stands with his arms folded. Tim, who's already setting himself in the car, rolls his eyes, "You like animals, don't you? Now get in." Tim states as he sets the key into the ignition and turns it, starting the car. Damian looks at him with an eyebrow raised before rolling his eyes and setting himself in with a sigh.

"I'm assuming Grayson put you up to this?" Damian inquires as he puts his attention out the window, though they haven't even left the garage yet. "He mentioned it, yes." Tim states nonchalantly. The garage door lifts as Tim backs up and exits, before closing the door with the controls of his car.

Tim and Damian don't communicate on the way there. Damian keeps his attention out the window, and while Tim feels he should say something, he's not sure what, so he ignores the awkwardness and focuses on driving. Though it's not long before he plays some music. Damian turns his attention to the radio as the music reaches his ears. The song 'Champagne Problems' replaces the silence that had been there only a moment ago and he glances up to Tim with an unamused expression. "Isn't this song a bit girly?" He inquires with a bit of a mocking tone. Tim rolls his eyes before reaching over to switch the song.

A rock playlist begins to fill the car. Damian just sighs and puts his attention back to the window as he listens. The rest of the ride is silent aside from the music. After what felt like an hour, but was really only a few minutes, Tim pulls into the parking lot to the zoo. Tim turns the music off and takes the keys out of the ignition. Damian follows his lead as he gets out of the car. "Really? This is your bright idea of a 'bonding' trip?" Damian inquires in an irritated expression.

"I know Dick has taken you here multiple times, so do not act like you hate it here." Tim states as he locks his car up before walking over and taking his place next to Damian as they head for the zoo entrance. They reach the front and Tim quickly pays for their tickets before going right back to his place next to Damian.