Tim Drake oneshots

The art of confusion

Title: The Art of Confusion

It was a typical evening in the Batcave, the glow of the computers illuminating the familiar faces of the Batfamily. Dick sat in his usual spot, sipping on his coffee, while Tim reviewed mission intel on his tablet. The peaceful atmosphere was broken when Tim suddenly muttered something under his breath.

Tim: "I think I’ll go undercover for this mission, but it'll take some work to hide the bruises from earlier. They're everywhere."

Dick, ever the older brother, immediately perked up.

Dick: "Oh! Steph’s free right now. She can help you out with that!"

Tim blinked, confused, as he looked over at Dick.

Tim: "...Okay?"

Dick smiled reassuringly. "Don’t worry, I’m sure she’ll help you with makeup to cover the bruises."

Tim raised an eyebrow, stifling a laugh. "That’s... thoughtful, but I think I can handle it. I’ve known how to use makeup for a long time."

Dick paused, blinking in confusion. "Wait, really?"

Tim nodded casually. "Yeah. My public image has always been more, well, public than yours. It’s part of the job to look put together, even after a rough night."

Dick chuckled. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. Being the Wayne heir and all that must be exhausting. But still, I didn’t know you were that good with makeup."

Tim just smirked, a glint of amusement in his eyes. "Well, I knew how to use makeup before that. I had to for galas when I was a kid."

Dick’s face scrunched in confusion as he tried to make sense of that statement.

Dick: "Wait... what? For galas?"

Tim: "Yep." He leaned back, stretching a little. "Gotta look perfect, right?"

Dick opened his mouth to respond but then paused, clearly unsure what to make of that. "But... you were like, eight?"

Tim shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, but, you know, boy clothes, girl clothes, it’s all the same when it comes to these events."

Dick furrowed his brows. "Uh-huh..."

Tim could see Dick’s brain working overtime to process this new information. The conversation teetered on the edge of confusion, but before Dick could dive any deeper, Tim stood up.

Tim: "Anyway, I’ll take care of the makeup. I’ve got this."

With a quick wave, Tim disappeared into the changing area, leaving Dick behind, staring into space with a bewildered expression.

Dick muttered to himself, "Boy clothes… girl clothes… what?"

From the shadows, Bruce stepped out, observing the interaction. He crossed his arms with a knowing look on his face. Alfred had told him how Tim often loved leaving people a little confused, just to see how long it would take for them to piece things together.

Dick turned to Bruce, still utterly lost. "Did... did Tim just say what I think he said?"

Bruce, not missing a beat, simply shrugged. "He’s always been a master of subtlety. Don’t think too hard about it."

Dick sighed, rubbing his temples. "This is going to drive me crazy, isn’t it?"

Bruce smirked. "Probably."

From the other side of the room, Tim’s voice echoed back. "Good luck with that, Dick!"

Dick groaned. "I swear, Tim’s going to give me gray hairs before I’m thirty."