After a traumatic event, Bruce takes Reader in. Tim is a bit jealous that Reader shows so much affection to his brothers.
A/N: I'm trying to keep the reader gender neutral. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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Morning glory – Affection.
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The day Bruce brought you to the Manor, Tim was reminded of the day Damien had brought back a stray cat.
The cat had been soaked, hungry and miserable.
It had hissed at anyone that had tried to approach it and if hadn't been too keen to be fed by unfamiliar hands.
And yet, after weeks it had slowly began to warm up to everyone.
Instead of hissing, it purred when it was touched.
It happily accepted their affections and even reciprocated the affection.
It had gone from a hissing, scratching animal to a cuddly, affectionate pet.
The same could be said for you, he supposed.
Bruce had brought you to their house, soaking, hungry and miserable.
You had not liked to be touched in the slightest.
You had been hesitant to eat the food they gave you.
But like the cat, after a few weeks, you had started to slowly open up and trust them.
You gladly ate Alfred's cooking and often helped him in the kitchen.
You had accepted Dick's hugs, Jason ruffling your hair, Cassandra's play fights, Tim's half hugs, Bruce's pats on the back and Damien's once-in-a-lifetime affectionate gestures.
After a long while, Tim noticed that you craved such things.
He learned that you had grown up in an abusive household where touching was accompanied by getting beaten up.
He learned that you were touch-starved.
He learned that you craved the soft affectionate touches that came with familial and/or romantic love.
You craved a touch that didn't lead to you getting hurt.
Tim craved to be the one to give you that touch.
And yet...
You seemed to enjoy his brother's affection more.
You held their hands more.
You gave them more hugs.
You accepted their affections more.
Tim was getting annoyed.
He knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't help it.
He wanted you to hug him more.
He wanted you to hold his hand.
He wanted you to accept his affections more.
He wanted–
"Tim," You whispered in his ear, "Let's go look at the morning glories. They're my favorites."
Tim nodded and slowly took your hand.
You turned and raised an eyebrow, but you said nothing.
Morning glories truly were beautiful flowers.
When you looked at the them from a far you would often wonder why they were called morning glories when they did not have the same colors as the sunrise.
But when you looked closer, you could see the golden center and how well the blue of the flower blended with it.
In a way, it did remind one of the morning.
It reminded one of the dark blue sky with a hint of bright gold as the Sun peaked out slightly from the horizon in the early morning.
At least, that's what you had told Tim when he had asked why you liked the flowers so much.
And now, here you both stood.
In the garden, facing a wall of Morning glories.
You were holding Tim's pinky, but he wished you would hold his hand.
"I never told you," You said into the comfortable silence, "There's another reason for why I like Morning glories."
Tim cocked his head to the side a bit, "What's the other reason?"
You blushed a bit and Tim had to resist the urge to pepper your red cheeks with kisses.
"M-morning glories," You began and your grip on Tim's finger tightened, "They symbolize affection. And I've always wanted affection, so..."
Tim nodded, "Understandable. I want affection too."
Your eyes widened, "You do? I wasn't sure if you wanted my affection, since you were so busy and all. I'm sorry."
Tim chuckled, "Don't apologize. It's not like I voice my needs."
You nodded and it was silent again.
Slowly, you leaned against Tim until your sides were pressed together.
"Is this fine?", You asked.
"Yeah, but," Tim said, "C-can I... can I kiss... you?"
Your grip on Tim's pinky tightened and you stood straight to face him.
"Okay," You said shakily, "But go slow."
Tim obliged.
He pressed his lips to yours slowly and gently.
The kiss only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like a lifetime.
When Tim pulled away, you were smiling gently.
He surged forward to hug you and you gladly accepted.
"Can I give you the affection you crave?", Tim asked.
"Of course," You answered.
And so he kissed you again.
It was a kiss in the Morning glories.
The best kind.
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I hope I did it okay.
We have reached 60 chapters!
Thank you all for the 83+k reads and the 2+k votes. I am so thankful for all of you.
