Chapter Text
“Well Drake, it would appear even animals can sense that you’re not worth their time.” Damian snarked, bending down and petting Alfred as the feline steered clear of Tim as the man passed through the living room. “You can, can’t you?” He asked the cat, who mewed in response.
The boy picked up his cat, following Tim as he stepped out of the manor and into the property’s vast backyard. “Is that right?” He queried, peering down at Damian, his eyes sharpening as the sunlight hit them. A bird cried out from the trees which lined Alfred (the human’s) garden, and then another, and another, and another, until the small boy was greeted by an army of corvids, all glaring down at the tween, with the very same ire Tim’s own eyes held.
With Alfred the cat clung close to his chest, Damian made the honorable, if a bit embarrassing decision to book it, metaphorical tail between his legs, heart beating ever faster, and hands shaking, ignoring Dick’s cry of, ‘Hey! Wait! Damian!” as he sprinted back into the manor, hiding within his room.
“Tim, buddy, you’ve got to stop doing that…” Dick muttered, knowing his pleas would fall upon deaf ears, “I mean, remember when they got mad at Bruce on your behalf?” He asked, shuddering, “I still find pieces of that suit around the property…”
But as luck would have it, one member of their family had not yet learned to ignore the quirks of the others, “Do what, exactly? Is this normal for you people?” He questioned, turning to face Cass and Steph, “Seriously? This cannot be normal for you…”
Dick sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head, “I’m gonna go check on Damian…”
Cass placed a hand on Duke’s shoulder, offering a squeezed and nodded solemnly, “They are his friends.” She explained, but also didn’t.
Steph laughed, “Timmy’s always been a freak,”
–”Hey!” –
“But if you’re nice to the birds they’ll give you gifts!” She lifted her hand, which brandished a well polished diamond ring, “They gave Cass this last week!”
Duke looked down at the ring, then up at the girls, a cheeky grin settling upon his face, “Then why are you wearing it?”
The pair blushed, and the boys around them laughed, “I-”
“Well-”
“You see…”
Jason, who had been reading a book on the patio before being rudely interrupted, interjected, “Yeah, just don’t be an ass to Timberlina, they can smell your fear.”
The four glanced over at Tim, who was cheerily petting each bird and baby-talking to them, as he scratched their heads, ignoring his siblings.
“I hate this fucking family.” Duke admitted, earning him the fearful laughs of the others, minus Tim, who continued spoiling his corvids.
…
“Drake.” Damian spoke, approaching the older boy from behind, “Grayson has informed me of the… kinship… between you and Gotham’s corvids, and their value to father’s mission.”
“Mhm…” Tim affirmed, half listening as he watched over the city from his rooftop perch, nibbling on some fries as he did. “What about it?”
A blush grew across Damian’s face, his fists balled up beside him, and he choked out, “I was wondering if… If you could teach me.”
Tim turned around, looking Damian over, and chuckling at the sight, “To what? Befriend the crows?”
The boy nodded, “Yes, befriending the corvid population would be most beneficial.”
“Hell no.”
Damian gasped, small but there, and a genuine pout graced his lips, “Oh. I see.” he nearly whispered, biting at his lower lip.
“But,” Tim crowed, regaining his little brothers attention, “The Columbidae, which are pi-”
“-Pigeons, doves and the like, I’m aware,-” Damian chimed in.
The older boy smiled, attempting to ruffle his brother’s hair, “-Could use a friend.” He smiled, “Corvids are kinda my thing, you know? My motif is you will. My being ‘Black Bird’ and all, but I’d be happy to teach you, Robin.”
Damian smiled, bright and excited, “That would be swell… Timothy.”
“No names in field.” Batman’s growl sounded through their comms, but the small, slightly choked, pride could be easily heard despite his gravel.
“Whatever” Both boys spoke, each with the same cadence. Damian blushed again, this time in disbelief at their similarity, but Tim only laughed, patting his little brother on the back and offering him a french fry.
The lights from below, which shined a bit too bright, filled the streets, illuminating those below. The man on a late night walk, the women on their way home from a long night of clubbing, the stray cats which staked their claim upon every fire escape they could find. From across their perch, the younger boy found a group of birds, mostly corvids, all huddled together for warmth, and in the middle a speck of white. A dove, cuddled by eight, larger birds, two large ravens, three Northwestern crows, two fish crows, and a magpie.
Damian accepted, and sat beside his older brother, as the two gazed out, reeling in every sight which Gotham had to offer, together.