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Kon adjusted his tie for what felt like the hundredth time since he put it on, and he still could have sworn it was trying to strangle him. Due to being Lex’s official heir, unfortunately, Kon had to join the terrible galas at least once a month. He tended to only go to the really important ones, because he did enjoy having his sort-of-dad not take away his bank account and guilt-lecture him in retaliation. They have come a long way from the Kryptonite threats, though. Kon is proud of his Pops, at least a little and reluctantly.
Still, the galas sucked and the outfits were even worse. Kon swore he would destroy this tie as soon as he was allowed to take it off, no matter how much it cost. He resisted the urge to run his hands through his hair, it was gelled down to the point where he was wearing a helmet and Lex would probably be upset at seeing his handiwork all messed up. It did take a while to tame Kon’s curls. He snuck a glance at the watch strapped on his wrist and sighed.
He really didn’t sign up for this. He still had an hour and a half left of this drafty party. He’d already tried to text Rob, but the guy has been silent for hours, and neither Bart nor Cassie had been sympathetic to his suffering. Robin (because, no Rob, I’m not going to refer to you as Red Robin outside of battle) would have been supportive, in his usual dry, sarcastic way.
“Not your scene, huh?” someone commented by his side.
Kon bit back a sigh. Great, his little, somewhat secluded part of the party was no longer secluded. He turned to his new companion with a charming smile pasted on his face and was surprised to see a teenager his age moving to stand a few feet away from him.
“Not at all.” Kon found himself saying. “You?”
The teenager smiled at him, a bit ditzy, and the corners of his blue eyes crinkled. He was wearing a pressed suit and his hair was held back neatly. There was a glass of champaign in his hand, and he looked like he fit in.
“I prefer staying away from parties.” the guy said, his voice curling in the way most rich peoples did. No wonder he seemed to fit in well, he was one of them.
“Why are you here then?” Kon asked, leaning back against the pillar he stood next to. He wondered if he could get a glass of the fizzy alcohol if this kid could.
The teenager gave off a bubbly laugh, looking at him in amusement. It seemed real, but there was a fakeness to it that made Kon feel uncomfortable. Rich people were weird, but this kid was weirder. His eyes held an insincerity to them and his voice was posh, words too well picked, laugh in just the right pitch. It was like he was acting, faking his way through their interaction.
“That’s a first.” the teen said.
“What’s a first?” Kon asked, fighting a glare away. He wondered if he could get Lex to pull him away.
The teenager turned to look at him again, and something shined in his light blue eyes. “People usually know who I am.” he admitted. Great, Kon was stuck talking to a dude who thought the world revolved around him. “My name is Timothy Drake-Wayne.” the newly dubbed Timothy introduced, offering a hand, “It’s a pleasure.”
Kon took his hand before he realized why the name sounded familiar. “Holy shit, you’re hosting this gala.” he sputtered before wincing at his wording. Lex was so going to murder him.
Timothy laughed again. “Yes.” he agreed, and then something passed over his features as he turned back to the party. He sipped his drink as he observed, and Kon subtly watched him.
Kon didn’t know anyone who hadn’t at least heard of Timothy Drake-Wayne, the young CEO of Wayne Enterprises. He had done a lot of work since taking over the company at seventeen, and there always seemed to be a story about him or his family every week. They all seemed like a bunch of morons, but Lex had warned Kon about the CEO being smarter than he tended to let on.
“You aren’t talking to me because you want to make some deal with Lex, right?” Kon asked, grimacing.
Timothy looked over to him with raised eyebrows. He looked a bit shocked. “Ew, no?” he said, sounding his age for the first time. “Come on, if I wanted to make a deal with him, I’d send the paperwork. I wasn’t lying when I said this wasn’t my ideal night.”
“And what is your ideal night?” Kon asked, grinning.
Timothy sipped his drink again, “Well, I like video games. My brothers are competitive.” something in his expression softened, “I used to be into photography.”
“Why did you stop?” Kon inquired, intrigued. He seemed very different from how he had been just minutes ago.
Timothy waved his glass at the party. Kon winced, sympathetic.
“Hey,” he said, leaning closer to the young CEO, “Want to get out of here?”
Timothy stared at him for a moment before he grinned, nose crinkling up slightly. He passed his glass off to a wandering waiter, and started towards the right of the building. Kon followed after Timothy jerked his head, and snagged a free glass of alcohol and downed it (it was weird, obviously expensive. Kon thinks that he prefers the cheap stuff the Team gets) before the teen disappeared behind a doorway.
“Where to?” Kon asked, smirking at the shorter boy.
Timothy shrugged his shoulders, “There’s the roof or we could go somewhere that actually has good food.” he grinned, “You ever been to Gotham, Conner?”
Kon took a moment to remember that, yes, Conner Luthor was actually known by the world before he freaked out about Timothy knowing his name.
“I haven’t.” Kon said. Which wasn’t exactly a lie – Superboy had been to Gotham, but Conner Luthor had not.
Timothy let out a soft “ah” before he turned to the back of the gala, which turned out to be a secret exit in the back. “We should go to Batburger, then.” he said.
“Batburger?” Kon asked, quirking a brow. “They won’t miss you here, right?”
“Bruce will handle it. He’s probably already made a spectacle.” Timothy dismissed before he waved at the chauffeur. The man nodded his head, grabbing a pair of keys from the safe by his side, and then wandered off to grab Timothy’s car.
“How do I know this isn’t a kidnapping, Timothy?” Kon teased, only half joking. This was Gotham, you never knew what to expect, after all.
Timothy tilted his head, “I didn’t realize ditching a fancy gala to get greasy food was kidnapping.” he said. “And, please, just call me Tim.”
“A man after my heart.” Kon said easily.
Tim laughed as a silver Porsche pulled up in front of them. The man stepped out of the driver seat, and Tim waved Kon to follow him. Tim took the time to open the passenger door for him, to which Kon teasingly quipped that he was a real gentleman, before the dark-haired teen hurried over to the driver's side. Kon watched him slip the chauffeur a hundred-dollar bill and couldn’t help but think rich people.
Tim didn’t seem as crazy of a driver as most Gothamites were made out to be, and he did let Kon control the radio. He loosened his tie sometime during the drive, and by the time they were parking in the near-empty parking lot to the Batburger, he was already messing up his perfectly done hair. He looked more like the eighteen-year-old he was than the sharp-yet-dumb CEO he had been after gala.
“They actually made this based off the Gotham vigilantes.” Tim was telling him, “You get a figurine with each order.”
“Really?” Kon grinned, and an idea entered his mind. “They got Red Robin?”
Something flashed through Tim’s eyes and his heart sped up for just a moment, “They do.” he agreed easily. He held the door open for Kon when they made it up the walkway, and instantly the smell of greasy food hit Kon’s nose. “They also have a Red Robin lunch meal. It’s surprising.”
“Why’s that?” Kon asked, frowning. His friend was pretty damn cool, if you asked Kon. He deserved more than just a lunch meal.
Tim waved his hand, “He’s not exactly popular. He doesn’t like the spotlight, not like the other heroes do. There are almost more photos of Batman than there is of Red Robin.”
Ah, that made sense. Rob had never cared for the spotlight, ever since they were kids. Kon nodded to show he was listening, and Tim observed him for a moment before he turned back to the menu.
Tim ended up getting the Double Batburger with a pair of Bird fries and a Nightwing themed shake called “The Nighter”. Kon doubled down and ordered two burgers, the “Scare” fries (Tim had muttered how they were Scarecrow themed) and a Red shake.
“Red shake for Red Robin, right?” Kon asked.
Tim shook his head, “That’s for Red Hood.”
“How many reds are there?” Kon asked incredulously.
Tim laughed, “Too many, I bet.”
They sat near the windows, in perfect view of Tim’s car (Kon bet it was because it was likely to be stolen because, duh, Gotham) and Tim braced his elbows on the table and locked his fingers together. He looked completely at ease and like he had just walked off a magazine cover.
Under the harsh, bright lights, his eyes seemed to glow, and Kon could see dim freckles over his cheekbones and a few, light scars on his hands and face. His eyelashes flowed over pale cheeks, and the beauty mark just under his eye stood out. Tim was a beautiful man, Kon couldn’t wait to spam the group chat about how he went out on a sort of date with a rich guy.
“You mentioned photography?” Kon squeaked out when he noticed Tim was staring at him in confusion.
Tim looked a bit surprised. “Oh, yes.” he said, bashfully. He looked like he hadn’t expected Kon to remember. “I haven’t been able to indulge much, with the company and everything. But I do love it.”
“You have any pictures you’d like to share?” Kon asked, leaning forward. Suddenly, all he wanted was to see what Tim was obviously passionate about. It felt real, unlike the persona he had worn at the gala.
Tim fumbled with his phone, and swiped a few times before he passed it over. “This is my photo collection,” he said, sounding shy. “You can swipe as much as you’d like.”
Kon looked down at the photos on display, and his eyes widened. The picture was of a sunset, the sun shining over a body of water that had buildings on each side of it. The sunlight hit the water and glass in a way that made Gotham look like it was twinkling. The next photo was of Bruce Wayne, bundled in scarves and sweaters with snow splattered in his hair and over his clothing. He was looking away from the camera, a fond expression on his face.
With each swipe, Kon was faced with more and more breathtaking photos of the scenery and of lovely photos of family. He asked a few questions, and Tim eagerly answered, even after their food was delivered and slowly eaten (Tim switched his Red Robin figure for Kon’s Nightwing one). He looked fondly as he spoke, his hands flying around, and his accent laid a bit thicker. His words curled together beautifully after their food was gone, and he realized he’d been talking the entire time about cameras and lenses and angles.
“Sorry,” he said, face red.
Kon thinks he’s a little bit taken by Timothy Drake-Wayne.
“Don’t apologize.” he said, smiling. “It’s nice.”
Tim looked even more embarrassed by that but the smile that twisted his lips looked pleased. Kon suddenly had the urge to lean over and press their lips together. Kon only didn’t go through with it (or at least asking if he could, because consent is a necessity) because his phone chimed with an incoming call. Tim leant back, smiling slightly as he pocketed his own phone.
“Hello?” Kon asked, a bit irritated.
“Conner,” Lex’s voice returned, dry. “Where are you, the gala is almost finished.”
“Oh, damn.” Kon winced slightly. Tim checked his watch and frowned.
“We should head back.” Tim said. “I have to get Bruce.”
“Right, ‘course.” Kon agreed, ignoring the disappointment that lingered. He really did have a good time. “We’ll be there in fifteen, Pops.”
“Good,” Lex replied and promptly hung up.
Kon still needed to work on introducing his Pops to saying goodbye on phone calls, obviously. Tim stood up and fixed his tie before he disposed of their trays and snagged his half-finished shake. He twirled his keys around his finger and sent Kon a slightly tense smile before they started to the car.
“I had fun,” Kon said when Tim pulled up to the gala’s location.
“Yes,” Tim agreed as he stepped out the car, “It was nice.”
If Rob was here, Kon is sure he’d say what Kon was thinking was a terrible idea. Him and Tim were from two different lives, even if Kon was technically the Lexcorp heir. Super-heroism and civilians didn’t match, not in a good way. But Tim was cute and he had a cute laugh and his eyes were pretty and Kon had a great time talking to him, so Kon ignored the Rob that showed up in his thoughts whenever he thought of anything particularly stupid.
“Hey, Tim,” Kon said, “Do you think I could get your–”
“Timothy Wayne!” shouts burst out of the press around them, and Kon realized that they were probably the reason why they left from the back last time. “Timothy, what’s your relationship with the Lexcorp heir!?”
“Conner! Is this a blossoming deal between Lexcorp and Wayne Enterprizes or is it a blossoming romance?”
Questions continued to blare down on them, and Kon found himself quickly getting overwhelmed from the noise. Fighting crime was nothing compared to shouting press and the constant clicking of cameras, it seemed. His head spun, and he tried his best to paste a smile on his lips, but he felt it fall through.
A hand gripped his elbow, and Tim started to lead him up the stairs. He was saying stuff about being out of hors d’oeuvres and other nonsense that seemed to just pop out of his mind randomly. After they managed to get past the doors, he sent an apologetic glance Kon’s way.
“Sorry, I didn’t think about the press.” He said sincerely.
“It’s alright.” Kon replied. “But, like I was asking earlier–”
“Timmy!” Bruce Wayne called, a drunken sort of cheer making him grin widely. “Oh, I was wondering where you ran off to, chum!”
“Hi, Dad.” Tim said, smiling. He hurried over to catch Bruce’s weight when he tipped over slightly, and wound an arm around his waist to steady him. He looked over to Kon and smiled, waving. “Sorry, I have to take him home. It was nice to meet you, Conner.”
“Yeah, nice to meet you too.” Kon said, dejected.
Seems heroism and civilians do not mix romantically. The world was against him.
“I suppose you could have done worse,” Lex said as he appeared by Kon’s side. “Timothy isn’t a terrible option.”
“Stop calling dates ‘options’, Pops.” Kon complained. “And I didn’t even get his number. He didn’t seem all that interested.”
Lex raised an unimpressed eyebrow, “I didn’t know I raised a quitter.”
Kon resisted the urge to mention that he hadn’t been raised, and Lex had only really become a good father figure in the passing years, and instead looked over to Tim’s frame as he disappeared into his car. If Conner Luthor didn’t manage to woo him, Kon’s sure Superboy would.
He grinned widely, “Thanks, Pops,”
Lex nodded, gave his back a pat, and then headed to the door. “I have the car coming around. Come on, Son.”
Tim nearly had a heart attack when he walked into his office and saw Superboy floating outside of the window. His first thought was oh fuck, B’s gonna kill me and his second was how the hell did Kon even realize I’m Red Robin, he can’t detective his way out of a paper bag.
Tim hesitantly opened the window – a feature that was sort of demanded in their line of work – and Kon floated in with a wide smile. “Timothy Drake, right?” he asked cheerfully, eyes sparkling as he looked over the lenses of his sunglasses.
Oh great, Kon’s going to tease Tim about this forever.
“Tim is fine.” Tim said tersely, already planning all the ways he could hide the fact Superboy now knew his identity. He’s hidden worse from B before. Maybe he could pretend he wasn’t Red Robin? He’s done worse than gaslight people. “How can I help you, Superboy?”
“Well, you’d be doing me a huge favor,” Kon’s lips lifted in a smirk Tim usually saw him send at people he was flirting with, “By getting coffee with me.”
...what?
“I’m sorry, how does us getting coffee help?” Tim asked. He knew Kon wasn’t on any mission at the moment and he’d know if there were aliens invading. “Are you on a mission?”
Kon’s face fell slightly, before he tilted his head and smiled again. Was it just Tim or was his hair extra bouncy today? Did he put more than two minutes of effort into it today?
“No, I’m not on a mission.” Conner said, a slight, charming lilt to his words. “I’d just like to go on a date with you.”
Oh. Yeah, Tim knows what’s going on here. Kon was messing with him. He didn’t know that Tim knows that Kon knew.
Tim smirked, two could play that game. “I’d love to, Superboy.” he said, batting his eyelashes and letting his words curl with a purr. His actions were entirely Brucie Wayne, and he was pleased to see pink rise up his friend’s face.
“Great,” Kon lit up, which wasn’t exactly what Tim had been expecting. He floated off the floor slightly, “I can fly us there, Tim.”
O-kay. Tim hadn’t heard anyone say his name quite like that before and Kon, of all people, saying his name in such a charming manner made butterflies rise. He was half aware of nodding to Kon picking him up, and gripped onto his jacket when wind bit at his face as Kon flew them down.
“A rooftop, please.” Tim managed to say. At least some part of his brain was working. “Gotham doesn’t like outside heroes, Superboy.”
Kon sent him a charming grin, “Whatever you say, Beautiful.”
Holy Batman, Kon was going to try to kill him before he came clean and told Tim he knew he was Red Robin. Tim wondered what his family would choose to put on his headstone: “Tim Drake, beloved son, brother, and useless gay” or “Tim Drake, the gay thoughts won, RIP”.
His dress shoes tapped against the rocky rooftop of the closest coffee shop and Kon disappeared into the building with a wink and promise of coffee after Tim rattled off his order. Oh well, at least he would die caffeinated.
“I’m going to ask him to be my boyfriend.” Kon declared.
“You’ve said that six times this week.” Cassie said. “And stop moving, you’re messing up the polish.”
“I believe in you,” Bart said cheerfully from the kitchen. “I’m sure Tim’ll say yes!”
“At least someone believes in me.” Kon muttered, glowering at his friend teasingly. Cassie rolled her eyes and added another top coat to his nails.
“I’m just saying, you’ve been pinning after him for two months.” Cassie said, “If he wanted to date you, he would have asked.”
“He could think I’m being friendly.” Kon replied.
“You called him yesterday and literally insinuated you’d like to sleep with him.” Cassie deadpanned. “Rob, you’re with me, right?”
Rob stood up and left. Kon pouted at his friend’s back.
“That’s Rob speak for “Cassie is right, listen to her”.” Cassie explained jokingly.
“I’m going to do it!” Kon declared. “Tim is going to be my boyfriend!”
“Uh-huh.” Cassie muttered. “I’ll get the ice cream ready for when he rejects you.”
“I bet he’s gonna be ecstatic!” Bart cheered and then started to eat his ten-layered sandwich. Kon grinned at his friend before sticking his tongue out at Cassie.
“Oh my God, Kon.” Tim sputtered the moment Kon knocked on his balcony door. “Just say it’s a prank already.”
“What?” Kon asked, feet landing on the floor. Tim waved at him wildly, his hair messy and looking sleep deprived. He was wearing his wire-framed glasses, and Kon took a moment to appreciate how handsome they made him look despite his confusion.
“You brought me flowers!” he said, sounding a bit hysterical.
“Ye-eah.” Kon drew out. “I was going to ask you to be my boyfriend. Are you feeling okay?” He reached up to press his palm against Tim’s forehead and the teen jerked back.
“Kon, I know you know who I am.” Tim said sternly. “This joke you’re doing isn’t funny anymore.”
“Okay, you got exposed to something, right?” Kon wondered aloud. It was Gotham, they had toxins for literally everything. “One sec, I’ll call Red Robin and he’ll get us an antidote for whatever you got exposed to.”
Tim threw his hands up, looking exasperated. “Seriously, Kon, it’s not funny!”
Kon nodded his head and hummed, mostly to humor his future boyfriend, and quickly dialed Rob’s number. After a moment, there was a soft chime from Tim’s phone. Kon’s eyes widened when he saw the contact's name: Conner. He stared at Tim’s phone for a moment before pulling his phone from his ear and checked if he dialed the right contact. R-Rob stared back at him tauntingly.
The soft chiming ended and then Robin’s usual voicemail – all dark and gloomy of “If I didn’t answer I’m probably dead or asleep, but what’s the difference, leave a message” - reached his ears. He hung up after a few seconds. Tim’s phone chimed with the notification of a voice mail.
Tim stared at him with sharp eyes. “Oh my god, you didn’t know.” he said.
“You’re Rob?” Kon asked, eyes widening with the realization.
“You didn’t know.” Tim repeated himself.
“You’re Red Robin?!” Kon asked shrilly.
“How did you not know?” Tim cried, throwing his arms up.
“How was I supposed to know?” Kon replied, just as loud. He gaped at his best friend who he apparently has a huge crush on. “Oh my god, do I have a crush on a persona?! Tim Drake is not as dark and gloomy as you are, Rob!”
“I am Tim Drake, asshole!” Tim snapped, “He’s everything Rob isn’t!”
“Did you fucking lie to me about everything?” Kon demanded.
“Of course not!” Tim scowled, running his hand through his hair. It was a tic Tim had but Rob didn’t. “I thought you knew and was just messing with me!”
“Was any of it a lie?” Kon glared.
“No, you idiot.” Tim hissed.
Kon dropped the flowers and leant forward. Tim took a startled step back, and his eyes widened when Kon cupped his cheek. “Then I want to go on a date with you.” he said fiercely. “And I want you to be my boyfriend.”
Tim blinked, looking flabbergasted – and, wow. Kon never thought he’d see the day where Red Robin was well and truly surprised. He felt a blossoming pride at being the one to cause Rob to look like that.
“What?” Tim asked, a breath.
“You heard me, Rob.” Kon said, walking just a bit closer. “I want to date you.”
“Fuck.” Tim said, “Okay.”
“Is that a yes, Gorgeous?” Kon asked, teasing.
“Shut up and kiss me already,” Tim muttered and Kon never followed one of his orders quicker.
Bonus:
“What do you mean he didn’t know you were Red Robin?” Jason asked, incredulous.
“He’s an idiot.” Tim replied. “But I really do love him.”
“Ew, emotions.” Jason gagged. Tim flipped him off.
“I’m happy for you, Timmy.” Dick smiled widely. “Imagine B’s face when he finds out we’re gonna be related to the Luthors!”
“Bet it won’t be worse than the face he made when he caught you and Wally making out for the first time.” Tim replied.
“How do you know how he looked?” Jason asked.
“It’s Tim.” Dick shrugged, snickering. “He probably watched all the security camera footage when he joined the fam.”
“I did.” Tim replied, “The hallway footage didn’t give the best angle to B’s face, but I saw it and it was amazing.”
“I need to see it.” Jason said, leaning over. “And I need to meet your boyfriend. He’s gotta know what tree he’s climbing.”
“We’ve only kissed.” Tim grimaced.
“I mean the family, who would consider your short ass a tree, Timbit?”
“Oh, fuck you.”
“Nah, I leave that for your boytoy.”
“I’m going to send B the picture of you in the alleyway on second from last week, you know what I’m talking about.”
“I fucking hate you, oh my god.”
Bonus 2:
“Yo, Pops!” Kon cheered as he flew into Lex’s office. “I got a boyfriend!”
“Good, as expected of my son. Now.” Lex said, looking into his son’s soul. “Learn timing.”
Kon paused and took in the dozens of people staring back at him. At least it was just a board meeting and not a villain convention.
“My bad.” He said, already floating to the window, “Also, Pops! Can you up my allowance, I spent it all! Thanks!”
He heard Lex’s sigh and his muttered “How do you spent two thousand in one week?” all the way from Clark’s apartment. (It’s not his fault his boyfriend really liked orchids and coffee, okay, Kon just liked making him happy!)
“Hey, Clark!” Kon cheered, “I got a boyfriend!”
Clark looked over to him, startled, and the hulking figure of Batman glared into Kon’s soul from over his shoulder.
“Imma head out! See ya!” Kon noped the fuck out of there because there is no way he’s dealing with his boyfriend’s dad by himself.
Bonus 3:
“Oh my Hera! I’ve never heard anything funnier, hahaha!”
“Wait, so Kon just had a huge crush on Rob this whole time but didn’t know it?”
“Yeah, I should have known better than to think he knew. Two months of no prank reveal was suspicious.”
“Hahaha! Oh Hera, haha!”
“Stop laughing at me, Tim isn’t any better!”
“You guys are both stupid!”
“Bart!”