I LOVE Dick and Steph so much, but Tim and Steph are my newest OTP. Un. I love them, but Tim is HORRIBLE with the ladies like what the shit. Also. This is an AU, so the characters are NOT Batman and Robin, etc, in this version. HOWEVER, as you'll notice, Batman DOES exist. Obviously he's an entirely different character.

This story gives me a chance to voice my opinions, thus there are several minor jabs at Kory, and co. Just one, I believe, cause I'm a huge Dick/Babs fan. Sue me.

Disclaimer: Don't own any characters, they are all part of the DC Franchise, if you were wondering.

Family

The stairs were a smooth slab of stone, speckles of black dusted over the top to make them appear fancier. As if it weren't fancy enough already... Stephanie muttered, rubbing her fingers together nervously. The door was hulking and even Tim appeared gigantic when she looked up from the foot of the stairs.

Her cheeks were a light pink, and her eyes were glossy with worry. "Tim..." She whispered, shifting her arms behind her back and hunching slightly, her long hair shadowed her face, allowing Tim to see nothing of her expression. "I'm nervous." She admitted sheepishly, biting her lip to keep her calm.

Tim almost laughed, but his own apprehesiveness forced an awkward snort out instead. "It'll be fine, Steph," he whispered back, trying to seem sure of himself, when, in fact, he was as worried as she was for the coming introduction, only for very different reasons.

Stephanie kicked at the ground, scuffing her red converse slightly, and frowning at the action. She had on a pair of black tights underneath her worn shorts, she dug her finger into the hole in the pocket, feeling comforted if only slightly. These shorts were as old as time, and her favorites to wear. She usually donned them when she was forced into awkward or uncomfortable situations, such as this. Her shirt was a deep purple and rose to her neck; with the atmosphere, it suddenly appeared choking.

There was a small Bat Symbol on the chest area of said t-shirt, covering her breasts, at the same time it hid her curves, it also drew attention to the feature. She shyly wrapped her finger around the edge of the shirt, cringing and trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. This concept was ridiculous given that her only audience was staring directly at her. "Steph," Tim tried again, closing the distance between them and facing her head-on. "You'll be fine! He'll love you."

Stephanie paused, realizing he was about to draw her inside the mansion, and she frantically searched her mind for a reason to stop him. "erm... Cass and I were going to go as Superheroes for Halloween this year!"

Tim blinked at her, opening and closing his mouth twice, before finally speaking: "yeah?"

She nodded vigorously, "I'm planning on being Robin!"

"You?" He snorted, laughter in his dark eyes, "Robin?"

"What!" She laughed, grinning playfully up at him through her blond bangs, "why can't I be Robin?" She wondered, pouting softly.

"You're a girl!" He chuckled, earning him a glare from Stephanie.

"I can do what I want, you sexist bigot!" She forced out jokingly, knowing he was playing with her.

"Fine, fine," Tim promised, sighing dramatically, "you can be Robin! But only-" he raised an eyebrow at her to tease. "Only- if you'll let me be your Batman!"

Stephanie raised an eyebrow right back, "are you suggesting that Batman and Robin are partners?"

"Well, of course? Everyone knows that, Steph."

She snorted, "obviously. I didn't mean partner partners, Tim. I meant life partners, special buddies, sexy friends?" When Tim appeared confused even after the sultry way she'd said the last nickname, she rolled her eyes and shouted, "GAY, Tim! Are you suggesting the infamous duo are gay!"

Tim looked disgusted, scrunching up his nose in distaste, "no! Fuck no." He said, sticking his tongue out at the suggestion. "I was just thinking we could be Batman and Robin, and I mean, if Robin is a girl, then maybe..."

Stephanie grinned deliciously, shifting closer to her boyfriend...? Were they even that? She needed to talk to him about that, now that she thought about it.

Unfortunately, the pair was interrupted by the flickering porch light and the front door, which swung open loudly. "Why helloooo!" Came a booming, ecstatic voice from several yards away. The male drew out the 'oo' sound in what he hoped sounded welcoming enough. Tim stiffened, rolling his eyes with a sigh, causing Stephanie to giggle into her palm, before turning to face his older brother.

Tim grasped Stephanie's hand on the way in, tugging her abruptly. She lost her footing for a moment, stumbling on the second step in her surprise at the gesture.

The man behind the door was tall, and ridiculously handsome, making Stephanie wonder if she'd chosen the wrong brother as her... friend? "Dick," Tim was addressing the man, Dick?, curtly, "this is Stephanie, my girlfriend."

The girl in question made an 'eep' sound, grinning childishly at his name for her. So, they were an item, it seemed. Scratch the earlier mental note! Shaking her head softly to rid her mind of silly thoughts, she promptly brought her hand up to shake Dick's. He stared at it momentarily, and she almost pulled it away, feeling awkward suddenly. Is this wrong? Don't people usually shake hands? What's happening? Her thoughts were as nervous as her eyes, but Dick remedied the situation by grabbing the curvy, blond girl in a jubilant hug.

Stephanie laughed delicately, confused as how to take this character holding onto her.

"Dick!" Tim shouted at the man, grasping a handful of his shirt and pulling him off the poor girl, who only straightened herself and smiled uncomfortably. "That's not polite!"

Dick rolled his eyes, poking Tim in the forehead, before bowing swiftly to Stephanie, "ignore my foolish, younger brother, my dear, Stephanie. I find it more pleasant to hug the ladies, and shake the hands of the gentlemen, no?"

Surprised, Stephanie only nodded, unsure how to respond. Dick took this as an agreement, and smirked victoriously at Tim.

"Well, anyway," Dick announced, clearing his throat. "Welcome to the Wayne Manor! Follow me, if you please." He gestured after him as he sauntered down the hall. His gait was confident and very self-aware. When Tim put his hand on the small of her back and pushed her to follow, she was given the view of Dick's backside: and what a view it was!

When the group had arrived at the sitting room, he made to leave. "While we wait for dinner, Tim will fetch us some drinks!" Tim eyed him carefully, wondering if this were a set-up of some kind. "Tim, if you will."

Finally, after a long pause while the two brothers locked eyes, Tim nodded, squeezing Stephanie's hand as he left.

Dick grinned as he seated himself on the beige love-seat, gesturing for Stephanie to sit across from him. "So, tell me about yourself, Stephanie! You go to Timmy's school, I presume?"

Stephanie nodded with a soft smile, feeling strangely comfortable around the older man. "I do actually! But, I'm a senior."

"Ah," Dick urged her on, "you're older, then. How much older, if I may?"

"My birthday is August 11th, so just under a year older than Tim." She announced, smirking. She just loved to hold that small detail over the boy.

Dick's soft laugh filled the room, and Stephanie imagined she enjoyed the sound. He was very handsome, and incredibly kind and pleasant to be around. She knew the pair would get along just perfectly. "That's amazing! I'll be lording that over dear, Timmy, for quite a time." With that said, she actually joined him in his shrieks of laughter.

At that very moment, a younger boy stepped into the room, sizing up Stephanie quite obviously. He announced his presence with a glare at Dick, "Grayson."

Dick paused in his laughter, smiling at the boy, who, Stephanie assumed to be about ten. "Damian, come to join us?"

"Not in the slightest. I only came to see the fool Drake has trapped into a relationship." The child called Damian huffed, sneering at Stephanie from his place in the doorway.

"It is customary to engage the guest in a conversation first, before whipping out opinions, Damian. You know that." Dick scolded him lightly, smile never leaving his lips.

Damian rolled his eyes, scowling at Stephanie one last time before leaving the room. Stephanie's eyes stared after the boy for a moment, before finally focusing back on Dick, "is that your younger brother?" She wondered aloud.

"Unfortunately." Tim reaffirmed with a grimace as he reentered the room. "That little devil hates my guts."

Stephanie could not hold in her gasp, "Tim!"

The male rolled his eyes, "it's the truth."

Dick chuckled softly, patting Stephanie on the knee as he reached out to collect his respective drink from Tim's tray. "Damian and Tim have a bit of a...rivalry, I guess you'd call it. Damian doesn't think Tim deserves to be in this family, for some foolish reason, and Tim thinks Damian is the worst Wayne of us all." Dick took a sip, sticking up his finger quickly as if remembering another point, "Which, I believe is ironic," he choked out, swallowing his dark drink. "because Damian is the only child with actual Wayne blood in his veins!"

Stephanie squinted at her drink's contents, wondering what Dick meant. "Then, the rest of you are all adopted?"

Dick nodded, "I'm the oldest, then Jason, and finally, Timmy, here."

Tim rubbed at his nose, smiling at Stephanie quickly before addressing his brother, "is Jason coming?"

Swallowing another gulp of his drink, Dick shrugged. "Who knows! Jason does what he wants, as unfortunate as it seems to be."

Tim sighed dramatically, and said nothing when Dick kicked his feet up on the coffee table, humming contentedly. The doorbell rang, alerting Dick, whose eyes widened a fraction, smile coming into place immediately. He nearly shrieked at the interruption. "I'll get it!" He sang, and without another word, he dashed off in the direction of the front door.

Stephanie giggled into her cupped hand, and Tim rolled his eyes at her, "he's like a lonely puppy around Babs. You'll see."

"Who's Babs?" Stephanie asked, leaning toward her newly-entitled boyfriend.

"She's his off-and-on girlfriend. My personal favorite of his long list of ladies," Tim told her conspiratorially. "She takes none of his shit, and is much classier than Kory."

"Kory...?"

"One of Dick's other girlfriends, don't mind her. She moved away, I think. Possibly to another country. Her home? She was foreign, I know that much." Tim obviously didn't know a lot about his brother's friends, so Stephanie ignored him. Instead turning her attention to the pretty red-head who'd just entered the room.

"Hello!" Said the newcomer, smiling widely, and extending her hand to Stephanie, "you must be Stephanie, Tim's friend."

Stephanie stood, immediately correcting the woman, "oh yes! Steph is fine. And you are...?"

"Babs!" Dick called, joining the three of them, and wrapping a loose arm around the woman's waist. "This is Barbara, she's my-"

"Friend." Barbara voiced, shooting Dick down with one terse remark. The man melted, pouting his way back to his previous spot. "I'm Dick's friend. Ignore whatever else he's spouted this evening," Barbara told her, laughing.

"Oh no," Stephanie smiled back, liking this pleasant woman almost as much as Tim and Dick seemed to. "He's said nothing about you."

"You didn't even tell her I was coming!" Barbara feigned a gasp, and cuffed the back of Dick's head, acting much like the mother he needed. "Richard Grayson! I know Alfred taught you better manners than this!"

"I certainly did, Ma'am." Said a tall, gentleman with a small, white moustache, who Stephanie only just noticed standing in the doorway. "However, it is my fault, I divulge. I cannot allow Master Grayson to take the blame, when I, myself, should have been greeting the guests."

"Oh! Alfred!" Barbara grinned, embracing the well-dressed man as quickly she could cross the room, "it's been much too long!"

Alfred coughed awkwardly, playing up the part of house butler, hopefully not for Stephanie's sake, "Ah yes, Miss Gordon, it has."

Dick mumbled something about suck-ups, to which Barbara shot him a scathing look. Only after forcing Dick into a cowering mess, she turned her attention back to the family butler, "I'm glad I could be included in this family dinner! I've really missed you all."

"You know you're as much a part of this family as anyone, Babs." Tim remarked from beside Stephanie. He leaned forward to take a sip of his drink, "come now, how could we exclude you, of all people? And even so, Dick uses every chance he can get to invite you over."

Stephanie glanced at the aforementioned character who was grimacing into his wine glass. "Anyway," Barbara continued as she seated herself beside the man himself, "how'd you two meet? I never got to hear that story!"

"Oh." Stephanie blushed, smiling awkwardly and hoping Tim would come to the rescue.

He did just so, "ah. Not quite as romantic a story as yours, I assure you." He ushered to the pair across from them, leaving a smirk on Dick's face and a roll of Barbara's eyes as his hand passed over them. "We had a class together. Chemistry, as I remember." At this, Tim looked to Stephanie, continuing only at her nod of acceptance, "Steph flirted her way into my heart. Although, the flirting was a bit sad at first, if I do recall."

Stephanie looked offended, "well, I succeeded, so obviously something worked!"

Tim grinned, nudging her with his elbow, "I took pity on you and finally asked you out. It was embarrassing for everyone, really."

"Oh, I was just a pity date? Then, how come you were sweating up a storm on our first date? Or were you nervous I'd dump your sorry ass?" Stephanie retorted, smirking at Tim's teasing smile.

Alfred came to the rescue at the perfect time. "Excuse me, but dinner is ready."

Dick jumped up first, offering a hand to the red-head at his side. She rolled her eyes, but took the hand, standing abruptly and spinning on her heel before Dick could make a move. He sighed loudly, before following her with a pout on his lips. Tim and Stephanie laughed, bringing up the rear, as Tim took Stephanie's hand into his own. She grinned, loving the feel of his warm palm on her own.

Alfred smiled at Stephanie as he pulled her chair out for you, "thank you." She whispered as he nodded and turned away. The man seemed to be such a huge part of the family, but he took his job much too seriously to include himself in their evening festivities.

The meal went quickly, and small talk was exchanged. But, nothing is more awkward than repeatedly getting scolded by Alfred about talking with your mouth full, so most of the eating was done in silence.

Dick waved from the doorway as Stephanie was led out by Tim. "Bye, sweetheart! Stop by anytime even to chat!"

"He gets lonely," Tim whispered as the door closed behind them.

Stephanie snickered into her hand as she smiled at Tim. "Thanks for bringing me here, Tim. It really means a lot that you'd introduce me to your family."

"They're not my-"

"Oh, I know." Stephanie reached up to cup his cheek with her soft hand, her pale skin seemed to glow in the moonlight. "But, they're your most important people. I could tell from the smile that never quite left your face."

Tim's eyes lit up at her revelation, "yeah."

Stephanie skipped ahead, "now drive me home, loser! It's freezing out here!"

Tim smiled after her, realizing this would not be the last time he'd take the blond idiot home with him. He hoped, maybe, there would never be a last time. This could very well be the girl he spent his life with.

Stephanie's laugh echoed through his mind as he followed her into the night.