star ★

Friday has been your favorite day for almost a year. You don’t work, you don’t have class, and you get to spend the evenings snuggled up with your lovely boyfriend. Recently, the two of you have been obsessed with the X-Files, which was currently playing on your TV. You shifted slightly in your sleep, causing Tim to hold onto you tighter. It was all so perfect. 

So peaceful.

That peace was suddenly disrupted when the sound of a crash and a string of swears erupted throughout your entire apartment. Tim, significantly more alert than you, shot up out of bed and into the hallway. He quickly returned, slamming the door and cursing up a storm in the process. Tired and embarrassed he quickly dressed himself with his clothes from your floor. 

Now aware of the commotion, your eyes shot open. You sat up, rubbing the sleep from your eyes. “What’s wrong?” 

Fully clothed, Tim paced with his hands in his hair. “Your…” He started to speak as the red on his face deepened. “Friends—”

Two quiet knocks cut him off. He stopped dead in his tracks, his face growing redder by the second. “Hey, we didn’t see anything. I swear.” The voice belonged to your roommate. It sounded as if they were holding back laughter. 

“He’s crazy ripped…” One of your other friends said loudly. 

“Were those eggplants on his boxers?” Another friend asked in a fit of laughter. You covered your face with the blanket to hide your own laughter from Tim. 

Tim’s blush made its way up his ears and down his neck. “It’s whatever.” He called back, conjuring up all the confidence that he could. “No worries.”

“Oh, by the way, we’re about to start playing music soon. Just let us know if it’s too loud.” They warned before retreating back to the living room. Tim waited until loud pop music filled the apartment before flopping down onto your bed. He placed his head on your chest and sighed.

“What happened?” You finally asked, running your fingers through his hair.

“There was a crash. I thought maybe someone broke in. Didn’t think, just ran out there. Only to see your friends failing to put up the photo booth.” He mumbled.

“Awe, baby. Are you embarrassed?” You purred. 

He glared at you with a pout. 

You kissed his cheek before pushing his head away. “Oh, no,” you deadpanned, sitting up. “Now my friends know that you’re secretly shredded and wear eggplant boxers. Weird, by the way.”

“You bought them for me?” He sassed, genuine confusion in his voice.

You raised an eyebrow. “Did I?”

“Whatever?” He laughed with an eye roll. Adjusting his position on your bed, he asked, “What’s the occasion?”

You sighed. “Nothing special. They just haven’t thrown anything in a while. Something about having to let the noise complaints fade into the abyss first.”

“You guys are sooo getting kicked out.” He said, drawing spirals on your thigh with his finger. “Do you plan on gracing them with your presence tonight, Bug?” 

“Hell, no.” You said, sinking deeper into your bed. “I don’t wanna be anywhere near this place tonight.”

Your roommate was known for their parties. These parties got pretty wild. You shuddered at the memories from their last one. Yup, you’d prefer to be anywhere but here tonight.

“Hm…” Tim leaned back, his eyes twinkling as the gears turned in his head. “You should come to my house. Spend the night.”

You laughed loudly, even taking the extra step to hit his arm. “You’re funny.”

“Thanks?”

“No, really.” You laughed harder. “Timmy, I’ve never been to your house. Let alone met your family.”

“No one’ll be home. It’s fine, Bug. Promise.” 

“I doubt that!” You snapped. “Your brothers barge into your room when we’re on the phone all the time.”

He was quick to deny that but thought better of it. He scrunched his face. “OK, true. That has happened in the past.” 

“Bud, it happened yesterday.” 

“Okay well maybe it happens sometimes—just come over, Bug.” He groaned, falling over. He stared up at you through his long eyelashes. “Besides, everyone’s busy. No one’ll be home. Just me and you.”

“Hmm.” You pretended to think. You had already made up your mind but it was fun to drag it on. “Fine. I’ll spend the night.”

“Yes!” he cheered, secretly pumping his fist. You let out a small laugh.

“Guess that means you won’t have to leave super early.”

“What do you mean?” He mumbled against your pillow.

“We’ll be at your house already.” 

Tim’s stomach flooded with a guilty feeling. Oh, right. Having to be home early was the reason he told you for leaving in the middle of the night. “Right, Bug.”

He squeezed your thigh with a nervous laugh. He hated that he had to lie to you but it was in order to keep you safe. You could never know about Red Robin. At least not yet. 

It’ll be the first time he gets to stay inside with you for the entirety of the night. He’ll make sure he doesn’t have to be Red Robin tonight.

Upon arriving to the Manor, you were in shock. Not only was it huge but also completely empty. No cars in the driveway, no dogs running around, and even no Alfred to greet you at the gate.

You were kind of upset about that part. You were looking forward to the day that you met the infamous butler. Tim smiled as he watched the pure awe in your eyes.

“It’s pretty awesome, right?” He asked with a smile that showed all his teeth. “Want a tour?”

You nodded eagerly. The manor felt like a museum. Each room had its own unique style. You were captivated by the decorative tile and ceilings higher than the sky. “Show me everything.”

At least half an hour passed by the time Tim lead you up the main staircase. He stopped at an enormous family portrait. “Tour concluded.”

“Wow.” You craned your neck to see the full picture. You stared at the portrait, mentally noting which faces were familiar. “Do you all live here?”

Tim shook his head as he started to point out specific people. “Just Alfred, B, me, Duke, and the little one—Damian. The girls have their own places. And those two knuckleheads live elsewhere.”

“I see,” you nodded. 

“Yeah, everyone comes around probably more than needed, actually. But for the most part, it’s just us.”

A warm feeling dripped from your heart and into your stomach. You couldn’t hide the excitement pooling up inside you. “Thanks for this. It’s really nice to get to see this part of your life.”

It feels like I know you better.

Tim pulled you into his side, his own chest starting to fill with warmth. “I’m glad you let me.” He kissed the side of your head. “But, now that you saw all of that, do you wanna see my room?”

You grinned letting him lead you down the hall by your hand.

Tim paced around his room with his hands in his hair. Each step he took made the old floor creak. This could not be happening. You were showering a few feet away in his bathroom completely unaware of his oh-so-perfect plan crumbling at his feet.

First, it was Dick’s car. He walked up to the house with a duffel bag. Tim swore under his breath as he creepily watched his brother from his bedroom window. Great, he’ll be here for at least two days.

Then it was Jason’s bike. Tim could hear him coming from at least two miles away. Within minutes, he was stomping around the house with his boots.

Alfred pulled up next. Out of the family car came Duke, Damian, and the dogs. Tim accepted his defeat then.

This is okay, he thought to himself. The water switched off in the bathroom. Tim dropped onto his bed trying his best to hide his frantic nerves. 

You exited the bathroom freshly showered and ready for bed. The first thing you noticed was the look on his face. You looked at him through his full-length mirror. “What’s wrong, hon?”

“Nothing…” he started to lie but thought better of it. “Do you hear that?”

With an eyebrow raised, you concentrated hard to hear a sound. The noise began to flood your ears quickly. Hushed voices talking in the room next door and the sound of a petty argument forming downstairs. 

From the look on your face, he knew that he was done for. You sighed and plopped backwards onto the bed. “What the hell! You said they wouldn’t be home tonight.” You whined, more upset than angry.

Tim squeezed your hand with an apologetic smile. He could deal with an upset Y/N. An angry Y/N was a different story. “Maybe it isn’t too bad for you to meet my family like this. Yeah, Bug?” 

You groaned, irritated that he even tried to joke. “You’re on a roll today, Drake.”

He frowned slightly but quickly locked in when there was a knock at the door. “Shh!” He said before tossing his comforter onto you. 

“T—” You said before being muffled. Tim mustered up enough confidence to strut to his door and open it up a slit. His guards went up when he peeked through it. 

“Ah, Damian.” He said in a weird voice totally not playing it cool at all. “What brings you to my chambers?” 

“Drake.” The younger boy said trying to get a better look into the room. Tim positioned the door to have an even smaller opening. “Who were you talking to in there?”

“My… uh phone..?”

“Right.” His little brother said before turning onto his heels and back into the direction of his own room. You could hear his small footsteps make the hallway floor creak. 

Tim slipped back into the room with a sigh. You were amused by the interaction. “Sorry, Bug. I don’t know what that was about.” 

“I think he’s very smart.”

“You have no idea.” He said as he deflated into his bed. “Wanna watch our show?”

“No, you are not getting out of this that easily. You—”

“Tim!” The gruff voice that cut you off was coming from down the stairs. It was followed by the sound of boots getting closer.

You quietly groaned into the comforter that was still nearly suffocating you. “Are you—”

“Shh.” Tim shushed you and prepared for Jason to come banging on the door.

“Jason!” A soft-spoken voice yelled. His footsteps were a lot lighter. It was clear that they were now both outside of the door.

“This cannot be happening!” He whined to himself. 

You pursed your lips and got comfortable under the blanket. Maturely, you held back the “i told you so” that you so desperately wanted to spit out. You already knew that once the sibling visits started, they wouldn’t stop. 

Tim grimaced and cracked his door before the other two could even knock. “What do you guys want?”

Jason spoke first. “This dick thinks that…” his voice trailed off when he noticed how Tim was standing behind the door. “Are you hiding something?”

“No?” Tim questioned, sounding cooler than he did with Damian for some reason. 

“You’re so weird, kid.” Jason said. “Anyway, listen—”

“Leave him be, Jason.” Dick sighed. “You can go back to whatever you were doing, bud.”

“What? No he can’t we need him.” Jason said. “Well not him-him but—”

“What?” Tim looked back at you before slipping out the room and closing the door behind him. “I told you that I’m busy tonight.”

Their voices were slightly muffled but you tried to make out what they said. From what you could hear, it sounded as though Tim was ushering his brothers away from the door. Your suspicions were confirmed when you heard three sets of footsteps disappearing down the stairs. 

Time started to pass. Ten minutes, thirty minutes, an hour. You had been scrolling on your phone without even thinking about it.

Suddenly, you sat up and tossed your phone aside. The reality of your night finally settling in. “Did he just leave me?”

You got up from the bed and started to tiptoe to the door. No matter how little pressure you landed with, the old floor still creaked. You stopped moving completely once you finally wrapped your hand around the doorknob. 

The sound of footsteps in the hallway returned. You stepped back slightly hoping it would be Tim who opened the door. 

It was not.

Damian stared at you with a small scowl. You were immediately rendered uncomfortable never been stared at by a kid like that before. “Dami—” Duke rounded the corner and landed his eyes on you. “Who…?”

“I told you that Drake was hiding someone inside of his room.” Damian said to Duke still not breaking eye contact with you. 

You opened your mouth to explain yourself but didn’t know what to say. The kid was 100% right. That’s exactly what was happening.

Duke cleared his throat. “Surely it’s not what you think, Damian. Allow me.”

Damian scoffed. “Whatever…”

“Are you Tim’s friend?”

Deciding that there was no reason to tell them anything but the truth, you sighed. “I’m his partner. We’re dating.” 

The two brothers had different reactions but they were both clearly amused. Damian’s eyes crinkled as he looked away to hide his smile. Duke burst out laughing. “Jason’s gonna loveee this.”

You scoffed, slightly offended. “I’m going to act like this isn’t at all insulting…”

“I feel like we got off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry that Tim has been hiding you from us. We’re actually really glad to know of your existence. Right, Damian?” Duke asked nudging his younger brother. 

Damian sucked his teeth as he shifted between feet. “Yes. We’re glad to know that Drake isn’t a total loser.”

“I’m Duke.”

“Damian.”

“Y/N.” 

Duke repeated your name as if he realized something. “You did a project with him or something, right?”

“He told you about that?” You questioned, thinking back to the assignment from last semester that helped you guys meet.

“He talked about how smart you were all the time.” He laughed. “Wow, it all makes sense now.”

Damian snorted which earned him a smack on his shoulder from Duke. 

You bit your lip to hide your smile. They were exactly how you imagined them to be from the information that you knew. “Well, I’m glad to finally meet you guys.”

“Likewise. Glad to finally put a face to the lovely Y/N that Tim speaks so highly of.” Duke smiled. “By the way, Tim’s probably gonna be out for a while so if you don’t wanna be alone in the room you can join us. We’re going to head down and play some smash if you’re interested.”

“I’d love to.”

Several hours had passed by and you were having a great with Duke and Damian. Smash somehow evolved into a game Mario Party. 

The three of you managed to finish a few rounds before Damian dozed off. Duke fell asleep not long after him.

You covered them both up with the couch throw blankets before falling asleep for a little yourself. The sound of Tim stumbling into the room woke you up. It was sometime passed 3am.

Tim’s expression was a mixture of admiration and amusement. He wasn’t shocked that you had taken a liking to his brothers (you talked about meeting them all the time) but that they had invited you to hang with them.

 “What a surprise.” He said, ruffling Damian’s hair. Damian previous scowl had been replaced by a small smile in his sleep. He cuddled into the pillow beneath him. Tim adjusted the blanket laying on top of Duke. “Good job, guys.” He whispered.

“Secret’s out.” You said, adjusting the blanket so that it was only on Damian now. You stretched your legs before touching them the ground. Tim stood above you, smiling.

“Sounds good to me. I can let Alfred know we’ll have a guest joining us for breakfast.” He extended a hand out to you. “Come on, Bug. Let’s go to bed.”

copyright © 2026 staricalwrites. all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, re-upload or plagiarize any of my works.

It’s been 6 months since you traveled 2000 miles via plane and left behind everything that you’ve ever known. It took 6 months for anyone from your past life to come see you.

Thank God, it was him.

Head over heels. There was no better explanation for it. That’s how you’ve always felt for him. You hid your crush on him from your heart. Your friendship was more important than anything.

“Who knew there were so many cool places in Star City?” Jason asked as the two of you exited the monster themed restaurant. 

“I knew!” You laughed. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you guys!”

The classic breeze of a spring night in Star City collided with your bare arms. You shivered, folding into yourself to rub your hands up and down them. Jason nearly rolled his eyes when he looked your way. 

You never did know how to dress for any kind of weather. 

He smiled to himself as he freed his arms from his own jacket. Quietly, he placed the leather jacket atop your shoulders. You grinned, quickly pulling your arms through the worn material. “Thank you.”

He hummed, allowing you to get comfortable in the jacket before the two of you continued to walk again. You latched your arm around his. His muscles tensed slightly before they fully relaxed against your touch. “I’m still not over how awesome that place was.”

You couldn’t stop the smile that spread across your face. “OK, between that restaurant and library bar from earlier which one did you like better?”

Jason let out a dramatic gasp. “You’re kidding, right? That’s such an evil question.”

You let out an sinister laugh. “Here you go with the theatrics.”

“Well…” He bit his lip, deep in thought. “The library bar is revolutionary. Yeah. That has to be my pick.”

“Good choice, good choice.” You said. He leaned into you. “Don’t give it the number one spot just yet. I have something even better in store for tomorrow.”

“I can’t wait.” He smiled again. 

Even though it’s been 6 months, he hasn’t forgiven himself for letting you leave. He should’ve had the courage to tell you how much he loved you before you got on that plane. But he didn’t. The past 6 months without you had been lonely and gruesome. But in the end, all the nights he spent missing you were worth it. Because he was here with you now.

Your stomach swirled with a mix of emotions. Gratefulness, affection, anxiety, the list could go on. There was one thing for certain and it was that you missed spending time with him in person. “I’m so glad you’re visiting. It feels great to hangout with someone from home.”

Jason snorted. “It’s no problem, Y/N. We miss you in Gotham.” He answered cooly in an attempt to hide his fluster.

“And it only took you six months.” You joked, leaning further into him.

“Oh please.” He laughed. “I would’ve gotten here a lot sooner if I could’ve. It really hasn’t been the same without you.”

November cant come soon enough, he thought.

“I’m gonna miss it here when my work is done.” You said. “I’ve gotten so close with your evil twin and his angel.” 

Jason folded over in laughter with a force so strong he almost took you to the ground. “You have gotta stop calling Roy that.”

“You know that I can’t.” You laughed. “The two of you are actually twins. I didn’t notice it before but he made me miss you sooo much.”

Jason’s heart swelled at the sound of your confession. It was a feeling he wasn’t used to having. A feeling that he hasn’t felt in full effect since dropping you off at the airport 6 months ago. 6 months of daily texts and weekly calls just barely enough to help him feel like you were his.

Jason shook his head. What was he thinking? You were his best friend, you missed him because of that! Not because you too were harboring romantic feelings for him. 

He pretended to listen as you went on a tangent about something Roy did. The way your eyes sparkled while talking about his friend didn’t go unnoticed by him. He tried his best to swallow his jealousy, which unfortunately left a bad taste in his mouth. The only thing he could think was ‘how the hell did those two get so close?’ Also who was stealing who from who? Were you stealing him from Roy? Or was Roy stealing you from him?

“Don’t get me started on the time that Roy—”

Your voice was cut off by the sound of a phone ringing. The sound was muffled like it was in a bag or a pocket. It was either yours or Jason’s. The only other people were at least 5 ft away in the opposite direction. Jason held up his phone upside down. “Not mine—ringer’s off.”

You pulled your phone from your pocket. It was in fact ringing. “It’s Roy.”

“Roy?” Jason asked sounding more surprised than he intended to. You nodded, leading him off the sidewalk and to the stairs of an abandoned apartment building. Jason stood by and watched you take the call sitting on the stairs. He couldn’t hide the jealousy plastered across his face.

“Hey. I need your help.” Roy’s voice hit your ear before you could even open your mouth.

The speed in which he spoke began to set off all sorts of mental alarms. He spoke too fast. Too rushed. “Hey, everything okay?”

He took a deep breath, allowing his nerves to even out. “I know it’s Friday night and you’re not home but do you think you can watch Lian for me? Two or three days at most. I promise.”

“Of course, Roy.” You let go of your breath, relieved that was all he asked. “No problem at all.”

Jason looked back at you with a skeptical face. You raised your pointer finger at him and let Roy continue to talk. “Some work stuff came up and I gotta head south. Thank you so much, Y/N. I know it’s last minute.”

“You know I don’t mind watching Li.” You were standing up now urging Jason to continue to walk. “Go ahead and let yourself in. We’re just around the corner.”

“Nice. See you in a few.”

You ended the call and returned your phone to its spot in your pocket. Jason was quick to press you for answers. “What was that about?”

You smiled to yourself. It would be impossible to hide the possessiveness in his voice.

Jason noticed it too. He cursed at himself silently for being too snappy. “I mean…” he let out a gruff sigh.

You slowed your pace walking backwards to face him. He looked past his irritation to make sure you were careful. With a laugh, you decided to ease his misery by answering his question. “He just needs me to watch Lian for a few days.”

“What are you, his nanny?” He asked. His words sounded a lot ruder out loud. You gave him a look while he searched his scrambled brain for something better to say.

“No.” you answered before he got the chance to correct himself. “I’m his friend. And as a friend, I do things like watch his daughter when he has to work.”

Jason stayed quiet for the duration of the walk back to your place. He was irritated with himself for being so stupid, so selfish. Here he was blowing your friendship with Roy out of proportion because of his jealousy. He’s a terrible friend.

The sound of your keys jangling woke him from his pity party. You went inside quickly and he trailed awkwardly behind. “Roy?” You called, following the sound of a cartoon on the TV and Lian’s giggles. 

Roy met you in the dining room. His hat and jacket still on. “Hey,” he breathed, pulling you into a hug. “Thanks again for this.”

“Anytime.” You told him, pulling back. Jason grunted, peeking from behind you. 

Roy rolled his eyes before opening his arms again. “Glad to see you’re still just as subtle as always. Come on, Jaybird. Bring it in.”

A smile flashed across Jason’s face as he went in for the hug. “It’s good to see you, bro.” He said, his voice slightly muffled by Roy’s shoulder. 

Like a sleeper agent hearing her command for the first time in years, Lian jumped up and sprinted through you. “Uncle Jay!” Within a second she climbed up his leg and into his arms. 

“Hey, kid.” He said as he ruffled her hair.

“Missed you,” she yawned with her head on his shoulder.

“Missed you too, Li.”

“Lian.” You sang, brushing her hair from her face. “I’m here too, you know.” 

Her head snapped to you immediately reaching her arms out to you. “Y/N.” She chirped.

Roy smiled at the scene in front of him. “So glad to be part of this little reunion but… duty calls.”  He walked up to you, planting a kiss on his daughter’s forehead. “I’ll be back in a few days. Y/N and Uncle Jay’ll take good care of you. Okay, baby?”

Although reluctant to, the young girl nodded. Roy returned the nod before patting your head. You scrunched your face in annoyance as he laughed. “I owe you one, yeah? I feel terrible for crashing your weekend.”

“It’s okay.” You reassured him. “Just make it back here safely, okay?”

“I always do. No need to worry your pretty little head.” He said, poking you in the center of your forehead.

“Yeah, yeah. Don’t forget to call us when you can.” You told him sternly. Lian yawned in your arms again. You propped the toddler up on your hip. “I’m gonna get her to bed.”

Once you left the room, Jason was quick to make a beeline for the closet that was storing his gear while he was in town. Roy chuckled, running his gloved hands through his hair. “You’re kiddin’, right?”

Jason looked up to Roy from his duffel bag. “What?” He asked, his voice low. “You don’t need Red Hood?”

“Nah, it’s just some dude I’ve been tracking for a while.” Roy reassured Jason as he laced up his boots. Jason still felt uneasy. It was his first time seeing his friend in a long time and he’s letting him go on a solo mission. “Jay.” Roy said, getting Jason’s attention. “You’re on a trip, alright? We’ll be able to throw down just like old times some other night.”

Jason looked in the direction of your bedroom and then back to his best friend. “But—”  

“No buts. Guys like us don’t get to have free time like this often. So no buts. Enjoy it.”

Roy left shortly after giving that peptalk. Jason stood in the kitchen for a while debating on if chasing after him was a good idea or not. 

Get your head in the game, Jaybird. He heard Roy’s voice loud in clear. You’re gonna let her go without telling her the truth? Again?

Curse you, Roy. Always being so reasonable even in his imagination.

Jason cleared his head as he stood in front of your closed bedroom door. He knocked softly, only letting himself in after your muffled voice called out to him. 

Lian slept peacefully in the middle of your bed. You read under the dim light emitting from the lamp on your nightstand. You freed your right ear from your headphones. With a smirk, you spoke. “And you thought he’d let you go with him.”

“He’s a big boy now. Doesn’t need me.” Jason replied with faux sadness. He almost lunged towards the bed when he noticed the book in your lap. “Is that my copy of Dracula?”

With a finger holding your place in the book you examined both covers. Jason’s scraggly initials were faded at the base of the books spine. “I guess it is yours. That’s funny, I thought it was Dick’s.”

“Yeah, real funny.” He deadpanned.

You laughed, placing the book on its respectable place on your nightstand. “We should get to sleep. I have a lot of stuff planned for tomorrow. Plus, she wakes up at the crack of dawn.”

Jason straightened up. “I was actually gonna ask if you had any blankets—for the couch.”

You switched the nightstand light off and rolled onto your side. “Jason, stop playing around and get in the bed.”

His face flushed in the darkness but he knew better than to talk back to you. So, once he was situated, he slipped into his place on the bed. As he drifted off to sleep there was only one thought on his mind. He sat up, a knot beginning to form in the pit of his stomach. He glanced at Lian curled up like a kitten and you fast asleep.

“Does Roy sleep in their bed…” he wondered quietly to himself.

“Jason!” You groaned. He was certain that you were still asleep. You would’ve hit him with a pillow if you were fully awake. He knew that, which was why he took your hand in his and started to drift off to sleep.

He may not be able to tell you in words but while he has you, he’ll do everything he can to show you just how deeply in love he is with you.

copyright © 2026 staricalwrites. all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, re-upload or plagiarize any of my works. dividers by: @/chrisssiren

It had been long enough that the party music had changed into something more calm. You group of old college friends and their partners were spread across the private room. You attempted to busy yourself with your phone while you tried to fight off your last shot. It was getting late and you had work tomorrow afternoon. 

The plan was to come to the party, catch up and drink a little. It started off okay but that all changed when everyone had a question about your ex. 

You were head over heels for your first boyfriend. Everyone knew it. He shared the same amount of admiration if not double. It was a shock for everyone when you showed up single. The last 6 months of progress and healing crumbled up like a stale piece of bread. 

“It was a good four years,” you told them. “He is—he was the love of my life.” 

“What happened?”

You shrugged, “all good things are bound to end eventually.” A half-truth, not always the case for every good thing. But something to make you feel a little better about your decision.

It was a quiet but messy breakup. Years of trust dissolved into thin air in a matter of seconds. How could he keep such a dangerous secret from you, after all the years you’ve spent together? He was Nightwing. He risked his life every single night to keep the city safe. Yet, he didn’t think you were important enough to keep his secret.

You now understand that wasn’t the truth. He didn’t tell you his secret in order to keep you safe. To keep the identities of his family safe. You meant too much to him. He couldn’t bear the thought of you getting mixed up in his work. 

You sighed before throwing back another shot. The next thing you knew, you were six shots in with nothing in your stomach. It was okay, you knew your limit. You’d be fine once you got something in your stomach.

Which is where you were now, sprawled out across a loveseat attempting to busy yourself with your phone. You were feeling the alcohol now. A few pieces of pizza now sticking to your stomach. You were an emotional mess. Every second felt like war. You tried your best to keep your emotions in check. 

Why were you so stupid? Why couldn’t you just get over yourself and accept your ex’s secret. You fiddled with your keys in your right hand. Its been 6 months, you shouldn’t even be thinking about this. 

You glared at the half-full cup in front of you. Yeah, it’s time to go home. You drowned the rest of your drink and stumbled to the bathroom. You’d call a ride home once you were done.

You slipped back into the private room. An eruption of cheers led you to the pool table. Your jaw dropped at the sight before you. Are you so drunk that you’re hallucinating? 

The party was alive and surrounding just one living being. The Prince of Gotham, your ex-boyfriend, Dick Grayson. You gasped, smacking your hand over your mouth. Everyone turned to you, the party was alive, awaiting your reaction.

Your guards dropped. All of your senses screamed for you to run to him. He gave you a heartwarming smile before resting his pool cue against the table. The sea of your friends parted as he walked towards you. For the first time in a long time, you were in his embrace.

The chill of the night caressed the back of your bare legs. You shivered, leaning farther into Dick’s side. He wrapped his arms tightly around you as he picked up the pace. “We’re almost there.”

The sound of his voice was muffled, drowned out by the ringing in your ears and sounds of the city. 

The last song from the party was bouncing around your brain. It was your way of focusing on getting home, not on the sickness bubbling up in your stomach. You fought away a burp which annoyingly became a hiccup. 

He stopped more abruptly than he meant to. Turning his entire body to face you, he planted his hands on your warm cheeks. “You okay?”

You hiccuped in response. He laughed, resting his forehead atop of yours. The warmth of him was enough to put you to sleep right then and there. You closed your eyes as the difficulty ramped up.

He bit his lip, an attempt to hold back yet another laugh. “Come on. Home is just a few minutes away.”

“Home…” you muttered. Butterflies joined the sickness in your stomach. Home. Something you haven’t known in a while. Something that you’ve been away from since the night you walked out. 

Walked away. 

Home wasn’t the small studio apartment you scrambled to rent in crime alley. Home wasn’t the other people you used to fill the hole your last love left in your chest. 

Home was him and you had finally returned.

You wrapped your arms around his neck tightly. The scent of him calmed the storm rumbling in your system. Your breathing steadied as you melted in his arms. “Thank you…for bringing me home.”

He laughed, the sound rippled from his chest to yours. In a swift, gentle movement, he hoisted you into his arms and carried you the rest of the way.

copyright © 2025 staricalwrites. all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, re-upload or plagiarize any of my works.

dividers: @anitalerina & @hyuneskkami

You held your best friend's hand as the two of you swayed to the blasting music. “I could go for another drink,” she yelled. “Do you want anything?”

You nodded, shaking your empty seltzer can. “Another one of these. Oh, and a water please.” She nodded, squeezing your hand before slipping into the crowd. You took a seat on the loveseat in the center of the room. 

It’s Thursday night, the start of Halloweekend. After a long week full of classes and excruciating underpaid hours at your internship, you needed a break.

You pulled out your phone to check in your makeup. You could just barely make out the black nose and whiskers with the strobe LED lights. Deciding that it was fine, you took a few selfies.

After an hour of mingling and sipping on your favorite drink, your tipsy was starting to show. Your glossy eyes and slight glow made for cute pictures. 

Your friend skipped back holding both your drinks and a bottle of water. “I’m back~” she sang, plopping down next to you. 

“Welcome back,” you cheered taking the water. Hydration never felt so good. 

After a large sip of her drink, your friend began to talk. You craned your neck to hear her better. “…said they’re starting cup games…garage!” 

“Let’s go?” You asked. She nodded as she linked arms with you. The two of you stumbled up the basement stairs excitedly.

It was a completely different atmosphere on the first floor, a lot quieter. It seemed to be the spot for casual interactions—oh and making out. 

Finally, you got to the garage. It was a little louder but not as wild as the basement. There were a few different groups doing different things and some pairs hanging around. The guys at the table immediately began to explain the game. 

You nodded quickly, pretending to understand what was going on. The game of stack cup started around the table but your gaze trailed off to someone in the corner of the room. 

A very particular zombie stood against the wall chatting away with a ghost, orange solo cup in hand. Even under all the makeup you knew exactly who that zombie-boy was.

From his lean frame and vibrant blue eyes to his dark disheveled hair. It was your ex-situationship, Tim Drake. In all honesty, it was closer to a ‘humiliation-ship’.

You twirled a strand of your hair as you drunkenly stared at him. For a brief second, you could’ve sworn that he stared at you before taking a sip from his cup. 

“Y/N,” one of the guys at the table called, freeing you from your trance. “It’s your turn.” He informed you, dropping a ping pong ball into your hand. 

You blinked at the stack of 5 maybe 6 cups in front of you, “I’m supposed to bounce it in, right?”

He nodded, “yes.” He tapped your hand, “but hurry, don’t get lapped.” 

Somehow, you managed to get the ball in the cup after two tries. Within seconds, your eyes were trained right back onto your prize.

“I think we’re done!” You heard your best friend yell over the music before she grabbed you and pulled you away, again. 

At some point of your spying, your friend had pulled you away from the other guy. The two of you sat on a couch facing away from Tim. However, that didn’t stop the heart eyes that you were making at him. 

“Still staring at Tim?” She asked, rubbing your thigh to get your attention. “Lovey?”

You turned, your body facing her. “Him? Yeah. Doesn’t he look so cute in that color?”

“You say he looks cute in everything. Isn’t he still dating that blonde chick, anyway? Stephanie?” She asked, sipping from your water.

You shrugged, “I don’t know who he’s with.” He was openly bi and pretty popular with both men and women. His popularity didn’t stop there with him being the youngest son of the city’s very own Bruce Wayne and all. 

“Well she’s not here, I say you go sink those kitten teeth into zombie boy over there.” She licked her thumb and smeared your lipstick. 

Swatting her hand away, you whined. “Don’t be gross.” 

“Oh come on, it’s cute. Plus, looks like you’ve been making out. Might get him a little jealous.” She let out a long laugh, throwing her head back. “I’m gonna go see what Bryce is up to. You be good, okay? Text me if you leave.”

You nodded, squeezing her hand before she staggered away to her boyfriend. You downed the rest of your drink. Liquid courage, you were going to need it.

Trying your best not to stumble, you made your way in the direction of Tim. Either you couldn’t see straight or he was coming towards you.

The corners of his eyes crinkled with his smile. Up close, you realized how much effort was put into his makeup. “Y/N? Long time, no see, huh?”

You couldn’t stop yourself from smiling once he said your name. “Long time.” Nothing really ever happened between the two of you. If a few dates makeout sessions equalled nothing.

You thought he’d be your first boyfriend. The talking stage that you make it out of. Boy, were you wrong. He broke things off and then popped out with a girlfriend a few weeks later. 

You weren’t sure if he was ever into you or if you were just there. Your suspicions were later confirmed when you heard him say, an exact quote, “she was never my type.”

“How’ve you been?” Tim asked. He sounded curious, genuinely curious. You held the conversation with him to the best of your abilities. You kept getting lost in his eyes.

Desperately, you wanted to know if things changed. Maybe now you had a chance. 

I could be your type, from your zombie bite.

He coughed, his eyes widened in shock. Heat rushed to your face. You didn’t just say that out loud, right? “Uh…”

“I didn’t—that’s not. I’m sorry, you totally have a girlfriend. I should—” You rambled, embarrassment taking over your body. 

“No,” he interrupted you. “We broke up.”

You poked out your lips with a raised brow. “Broke up, you say?”

He nodded, a light blush covered his ears. “It just didn’t work out.” You squinted your eyes at him. He avoided your gaze, “what?”

“Oh, nothing.” You sang, poking him in his shoulder.

He gave you a shy smile, “do you wanna maybe…get out of here?”

We about to be up all night, wakin' up a zombie. So put your paws all over me, you zombieboy, you zombieboy.

copyright © 2025 staricalwrites. all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, re-upload or plagiarize any of my works.

dividers by: @strangergraphics & @fae-and-wolf

The familiar chill of fall has crept its way over Gotham. It was only late August and temperatures were already 50° and windy. You slipped into your apartment quickly. Shivering, you practically ran to the thermostat. You tapped away at the buttons until the heat started kicking. Finally, you dropped your bag onto the island counter. Your apartment was still dim but smelled of…lavender disinfectant? 

You took a deep breath trying to resist the urge to melt into the floor. After a long day of dealing with testy patients at Arkham this is exactly what you needed to come home to. There was only one person who could have done this. You switched on the lights, your gaze fell to your boyfriend sleeping on the couch. 

He was snuggled up under a plush blanket with a book covering his face. Small muffled snores moved the book up and down. You chuckled to yourself, moving the book from his face. He stayed asleep, biting the inside of his cheek. You gently positioned yourself on top of him, his body accepted you. He snaked his arms around you, pulling you into his chest. “Hey baby,” his sleepy voice rumbled in his chest.

“Hi,” you purred, finding comfort in the crook of his neck. “Thanks for cleanin’.” 

He sat up, pulling you up with him. “The least I could do. How was work?”

You pulled your head away from his neck. “It was… long, but not the worst. I’ll be glad when I’m not dealing with Nygma anymore. Way too many riddles.”

“You’re telling me.” He said, continuing to run his finger along your spine. “I hope you get a new assignment soon, hon.”

You yawned, “thanks, babe.” His fingers fell limp against your back as he started to fall back asleep. A pile of envelopes on the coffee table caught your eye. “Aw, you brought in the mail?”

“Yeah,” he hummed. “It was piled up.”

You slipped away, now sitting on your knees in front of the table. Jason rolled over, tiredly playing with your hair. You started to sift through the mail. Junk, junk, Jason—You held a thick envelope up. “This is for you.” You scanned the front as you passed it behind you. “Oh, look. It’s from those Jehovah’s Witnesses that you opened the door for.”

He howled in laughter as he took the envelope. “You’re never dropping that, are you?” 

You shook your head with a laugh. “No, Jase. You let them in.”

“In my defense, I was drunk!” He whined as he tore the envelope open. 

“You gave them your name,” you laughed. “And now they’re sending you stuff.”

He let out a halfhearted chuckle as he ripped the letter down the middle. “What a waste of paper.” He sat up normally, dropping his trash onto the coffee table. 

You noticed a folded up paper on the corner of the table. “What’s this?” Jason’s gaze followed your hand as you reached for it. Before he could answer you were already reading the flyer. “‘Spend a day at the orchard. Enjoy a 50% discount on 1lb+ of apples—this weekend only.’ Was this in the mail?”

“Someone handed it to me downtown.” He said. You analyzed the simple flyer from the local apple orchard. It was decorated with various illustrations of hand drawn apples. “Seemed like something you’d like.”

You leaned back, now resting against his legs. “Maybe before.”

He rested his hands on your shoulder. “What’s that mean?”

“It’s just…” you sighed, “work.”

He rubbed the skin between your shoulders and neck. “Take the weekend off. You’ve been working with no breaks all week.”

“Well, yeah.” You said, letting him work his massage down your arms. “We’re running a bunch of tests right now. It’s all hands on deck.”

“Oh, come on.” He reached down lifting you back onto the couch with ease. With you now sitting with your legs across his, he pinched your cheek. “I know that you’re swimmin’ in PTO.”

You entertained the thought in your mind. The doctor and psych staff could handle the weekend without you. It’s not like you know anymore than they do. All of your personal notes were uploaded to your drive. They could manage.

Jason turned your chin to him. His lips forming into a playful smile. “What do you say, huh? We pick a bunch of pretty red apples and bake a couple pies or somethin’. Would you like that?”

You bit back a smile as you reminisced about the sweet taste of Jason’s apple pie. It was originally a Pennyworth family recipe but Jason added his own flare to it, naturally. You could never forget the very first time you had it.

You nodded, earning a kiss from your boyfriend. “Okay, we’ll go tomorrow?” You asked, wrapping your arms around his neck. 

From the crook of your neck he responded, “we’ll go tomorrow.”

· · ─ ·✶· ─ · ·

Saturday morning came in the blink of an eye. Next thing you knew, you were walking down aisles of apple trees hand in hand with Jason. The orchard was huge but also packed. After about twenty minutes of walking, the two of you were finally alone. 

You rushed to a plump red-yellow apple a few feet away. “I think I’ve got on—nope not that one.” You deflated as you dropped your hand. Like the other ‘good’ apples you found, it was bruised and deformed. You laugh awkwardly as Jason caught up. “Maybe next time?”

He smiled as he took your hand in his. “You’ll get ‘em next time—nice!” He cheered as he plucked another gorgeous Honeycrisp. 

You let out an exasperated groan, “I didn’t know you were a professional.”

“Me either,” he laughed. “Guess I just have an eye for pretty things.”

You pushed on his chest as he pulled you closer. “You’re such a flirt.” He slipped his cold hands against your back with a hum. You exhaled and shimmied away. “Jase!”

“They’re that cold?” He asked with fake innocence as he patted his own face. He let out a whistle in agreement. “You were not exaggerating. Hey, at least the sun’s out.”

You grumbled from a few feet away. “True.” The sun was shining perfectly between two trees a few feet ahead. A group of teenagers were having a mini-photoshoot. “Jase, when they’re done, can you get some pics of me there.”

“Sure thing, hon.” He answered, still plucking 10/10 apples. 

You busied yourself with snapping candids of Jason. It took a few pictures for him to notice and act silly for the camera. In a few minutes the kids had moved on. You posed for the camera while Jason hyped you up. “Yes, baby!”

The early autumn foliage made a great backdrop. After a few pics you forced Jason to take selfies with you. As it turned into the afternoon, the wind began to pick up. You poked more fun at Jason’s red ears. “About ready to go?”

“I’m all set if you are.” He held up the extra large bag of apples. “I think we might’ve overdone it.”

“You did kinda go crazy,” you laughed. “No worries, there’s tons to do with apples.”

“You’re right, let’s go pay.” He snaked his arm around your waist and led the way. 

“Maybe we can get warm cider on the way out?”

“Of course we can.” 

It’s safe to say that fall was off to a great start.

copyright © 2025 staricalwrites. all rights reserved. do not copy, translate, re-upload or plagiarize any of my works. dividers by: @/strangergraphics & @/saradika-graphics

a really cute thing that he does is code little desktop apps for you. you were complaining about not having a cute AND functional to do list system? he made one for you. you wanted a self care app that had a cute little pet but no ads or in app purchases? he made that for you too.

if it’s late and you’re out and about he knows exactly where you are and who you’re with—only with the intentions of being able to get to you/reach you if something were to happen

red robin frequently shows up while you were out with your friends. it has happened so many times to the point where there’s even an inside joke that he’s a part of the friend group. there hasn’t been a single group outing where red robin hasn’t made an appearance

he’d either be perched up on the building across the street or conveniently dealing with a thug in the alleyway next door

tim has a hard time sleeping (we know this) but it’s never been a problem with you. the first time that you guys hung out he accidentally fell asleep. from that moment on, he knew you were the cure to his insomnia.

he doesn’t play about you and nap time. it’s gotten to the point where he’ll ask you to hangout with the intention to take a nap with you

it usually played out like this: the two of you are chilling when he suddenly moves a little closer and drops his head onto your shoulder. his dialogue slows down and then eventually stops. you accept defeat and pause what you’re doing because you knew what that meant

you wake up a few hours later next to a peacefully sleeping tim. his limbs are tangled with yours and he has a smug smile on his face. he always got a nap out of you whenever he wanted

if he notices that you seem tense he’ll ask to give you a massage. “come on, y/n.” he’d beg. “let me help you feel better.” being from a family of vigilantes, he’s picked up a few things when it came to at home massages. in other words, you were never disappointed with the experience. also, in classic tim manor, he wouldn’t ask but he’d really appreciate if you would return the favor (spoiler alert: you always did)

whenever the two of go out, he always slips his hand in yours while you’re walking or sitting down somewhere

his favorite thing to do is to snake his arm around shoulders and pull you closer when he’s sitting next to you

he looooooovesssss sharing music with you. whether it’s sending each other songs back and forth, shared playlists, or sharing earbuds he absolutely loves it. he admires your taste in most things but he really loves your taste in music

another silly thing he does is call you names. he’s a huge teaser so he has a lot of nicknames for you (ex. stinky, meanie, cutie…etc.)

everyone around you knows that he has a crush on you. it’s not like he’s exactly hiding it. however, if he ever gets called out on it he’d say something along the lines of, “y/n is my friend, obviously i like them. God forbid a guy likes his friend, am i right??”

he thinks about confessing to you everyday, which just adds to the amount of admiration that he treats you with

when the time comes, he’ll confess. but for now, with his entire soul, heart, and body he intends to be the best friend that he can be