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As one of Bruce Wayne’s interns in Wayne enterprises, you are required to of course dress formally. Normally, your mother would tie the tie for you but today she’s not really here. She’s on a business trip and she told Bruce—her boss AND friend—if you could stay over at their manor.
Of course, Bruce had agreed. So, now you are staying in a guest bedroom in Wayne Manor. You stood in front of a mirror, attempting to tie your tie while following a tutorial from Youtube. You grumbled as another knot tangled.
“How can she make it so… so—simple!” you recall the time your mother would only take seconds in tying your tie. You sighed as you untangled your tie. Maybe Cassandra knows? No way in hell you’re going to ask Tim. You’re under his department, and though he is not a rude boss, a playful banter would always fill the silence between you.
You could ask Alfred, but that’s just embarrassing.
So, you exited your room while still fiddling with the untied tie. You made your way to Cassandra’s room and knocked but the door opened once your hand had touched it. You peeked your head through and saw that Cassandra is nowhere to be found.
You decided to walk in her room. Cassandra always tells you how you are always welcome in her room. You walked in and faced the mirror in her room, waiting for her. You tried to tie again and again until you heard a chuckle from the doorway.
“Cass?”
She chuckled, “Struggling?”
You gave her a deadpan expression.
She walked towards you examining the tie, “Help?”
You nodded abruptly.
She shrugged, “I don’t know.”
You sighed looking back at the mirror, “Do you have a clip-on tie or something?”
“I’ll look,” before you could turn, she was already gone.
You look back at your reflection in the mirror. You wore a black blazer with a black pencil skirt. Your tie is this maroon red that screams elegance, but with its state right now, it’s nowhere NEAR elegance.
Finally, you were able to tie your tie. It isn’t the best, but it’ll work. You turn to leave the room, hoping your tie is good enough- presentable enough. You pulled open the door and left Cass’ room. You walked through the manor’s hallway when you were almost hit by a running figure.
Thankfully, you stopped in time. Placing a hand to your raising heart. You looked up and saw Tim looking sheepish, “Sorry, didn’t see you shortie.”
“Hey, did I ever say you’re hilarious ?” you scoffed at him.
“I’ve been told-” his eyes flicked down to your tie, stifling a laugh, “Titus could tie a tie better than you,”
Your jaw dropped in offense about to retort when he stepped closer. Immediately, placing your jaw back where it belongs. His hands found its way on your tie, untangling it. He did it swiftly, smoothly knotting the tie in the right places, his hands slightly brushing your chest.
You stared at nothing, trying to stabilise your heart rate. “I’m not letting my employee, who’s currently living under my roof look disheveled, that’s a bad look on my reputation.”
You rolled your eyes at his comment, almost choking when his hand brushed lightly on your chest again, “Are you only helping me to touch my tits?”
Immediately, he retracted his hands back, the tie falling loosely back to its original state. “What-?!”
You laughed loudly, reaching to grab his wrists. “I’m just joking,”
“ Hilarious ,” he rolled his eyes, though a ghost of a smile lay on his lips. He brought his hands back to your tie again, careful not to touch your chest this time.
Now it’s the awkward silence that consumed the both of you. Neither of you spoke a word. Just the sound of each other’s breath, the fabric of your tie being tied, and in your ear- you could hear your heartbeat.
Way too close. Way too close. Way too close. WAAAAYYYY TOOOO CLOSEEE.
Your sight remains staring at nothing . Wishing that he’ll finish soon. Tim’s eyes darted to yours that was staring at his own tie. He didn’t mean to but his fingers slipped and ruined his almost finished tie.
“Idiot,” you muttered your eyes now boring into his.
He scoffed but grabbed your tie again. “Do you want me to help you or not?”
“I didn’t ask for it in the first place, Timbo.”
“Just be glad,” he was about to finish it but then his finger slipped again.
“I’m starting to think you don’t actually know how to tie a tie.”
He grumbled something incoherent under his breath.
“You see my tie here?”
You raised an eyebrow and nodded, “Yeah, my occipital lobe is healthy”
“It’s perfectly tied, do you know who tied it?” he ignored your retort.
“Alfred?”
“Your brain lost neurons or something? Me, dumbass”
“Yeah? Then why are you struggling with mine?” you smirked seeing him falter for a moment.
“It’s the fabric. Cheap quality.”
“It’s literally designer, a gift from your dad”
He rolled his eyes, “Maybe it’s the way you take care of it, cheap.”
You gasped in offense.
You watch him almost finish tying the tie when—
“I swear you’re doing this on purpose,” you muttered watching how his fingers slipped again.
He did do this on purpose this time, but the last three times were purely accidental. He just tried to stifle a laugh.
You gasped, “You’re doing it to touch my tits!”
“What!? No!” he stepped back, the tie falling back to its original state for the hundredth time today.
“That’s it, I’m getting Alfred,” you made your way past him.
“You don’t need Alfred—I’m right here” Tim attempted to grab your wrist which you pulled away just in time. You stuck out your tongue and made a run for it.
However, Tim has always been faster, but it seems that faith also added clumsiness into that. Tim tripped on the hallway’s carpet and tumbled over you. “Oh shoot!”
You fell face first on the carpet. Then suddenly a heavy weight on your back. “Get off of me tree trunk!”
“Who you callin’ ‘tree trunk’, short stack?” he propped his elbows so he wasn’t totally CRUSHING you.
“Get off!”
Tim rolled to the side while you sat up and glared down at him. You slapped his arm. “Look what you did, the tie’s worse than before!”
Tim sat up to flick your forehead, “It’s just the same as before.”
“Fix it.”
“Oh, now you want me to fix it,” he crossed his arms and leaned closer to your face with a smug smirk.
You shoved his face away, that was a breath away, which only made him laugh. You scowled at his cocky expression.
“Fine,” he muttered, dropping his cocky smirk and extending his arms to hold your tie. He slightly pulled you closer, which caught you off-guard. This time, your eyes found itself searching his, you wanted to look away but it seems like your eyes did NOT receive the signal.
You watch as his eyes follow his fingers that were knotting your tie, his fingers occasionally brushing against your chest, his breath fanning your face, and your heart rate stopping.
Suddenly, his eyes weren’t looking at your tie anymore. He was looking at you. You wanted to look away, you really did. He finished tying your tie, but he was still keeping hold of it, keeping you close.
Whatever this tension was, you definitely did NOT like it.
You don’t hate it as well..
He remained watching you, patiently. That infuriates you, why is he so patient?
“Your tie…is all done… now” he said slowly, still holding you in place with his eyes and hand.
“Yeah, I noticed. You could let go of me now,” your hand found its way to his wrist, trying to tug it off.
“What if I don’t want to?”
“I could sue you,” you purse your lips. His eyes flickering on it for half a second.
“I’m rich,”
“You’re privileged,”
“So are you,”
You scoffed and rolled your eyes making him chuckle. That was your last straw, his face was so close to yours that his chuckle is ringing in your ears like a continuous alarm to remind you he’s there. His breath fanning over your lips, enveloping it in a teasing warmth.
“Cat got your tongue?” He smirked.
“You’re a cat now?” You smirked.
“I- what-?” he faltered, realizing the innuendo in your retort.
Before you could say anything else or do anything else, a cough brought you two out of your trance. You turned your head to see Damian munching on a bread watching you two on the ground.
Tim retracted back his hand from your tie and straightened his suit, standing up and offering you a hand. You took it and stood up, straightening your own outfit. Tim cleared his throat and was about to speak when Damian cut him off.
“Do not bother explaining and making up illogical excuses, Drake”
“You’re right, he was totally—mmh-!” you were about to drop him on the bus when a wide-eyed Tim wrapped his arms around you, one arm around your waist and one hand covering your mouth.
You looked to where Damian was standing only to find him, not there. What’s with this family?
You struggle in his hold, grumbling and slapping his hands away, but his hold around your waist was firm and gentle that you almost wished he would never let go. He dropped his hand from your mouth.
“Don’t ever place your dirty ass hands back on my mouth,” you grumbled, still trying but failing on getting out of his hold.
“You want it somewhere else?” his voice was low as it was close to your ear.
Your jaw dropped and gasped, “What-?!”
You immediately got out of his hold when he loosened his hold a bit. You turned to stare at his disbelief, though you can’t deny the warmth in your cheeks.
He seems to be surprised by his own words as well as he immediately fumbled in his own words “That’s not- no! Wha-what I meant is- no!”
“That’s gotta be a tough save, replacement” Jason’s voice cut through the air, making both of you face the man standing in the hallway.
“Jason!”
You’ve never seen Tim so red before. You bit back a laugh, but you know you aren’t any different.
“Tim, Tim, Tim,” Jason shook his head as he approached Tim, placing his hands on either side of his shoulders. “If you flirt, you gotta be confident about it”
“I was not-!”
“Yes, he definitely was,” you nodded, wearing a neutral expression but deep down you are so dying because this is just too funny, and… embarrassing.
“What are you talking about?” Tim shot you a glare.
“‘You want it somewhere else? ’ Seriously, Tim?” you repeated the phrase he said earlier that completely froze your whole nervous system.
There was silence.
You blinked.
Tim blinked.
Jason blinked.
There was more silence.
You blinked.
Tim blinked.
Jason blinked- aaaaand he bursted out laughing, “Didn’t know you were that bad, replacement,” he doubled over.
“I didn’t mean it like-”
“You gotta at least own it, bro,” Jason shoved Tim’s shoulder.
“I didn’t mean it like that!” Tim ran a hand down his face.
“Yeah, yeah, that’s what they all say. Be confident of your flirt, you looked like you were gagging at your own flirting”
“I was not flirting!”
“What do you call that then?” Jason nodded at both of you, seemingly pointing out the tension between the 5 foot distance of you two.
“That’s called social distancing, Jason. You should try it sometime,” you shrugged.
“Social distancing, awkward tension. Tomato, tomahto.” Jason rolled his eyes, an annoying smirk plastered on his face.
“Either way, that’s not flirting” Tim pointed out.
“Yeah, and your hand on her tie earlier wasn’t flirting,”
“It. Was. Not. Flirting!”
“What do you call it then?”
You tilted your head to the side, humming, “Existential crisis?”
Jason chuckled, “Yeah, for him .”
Tim lets out a groan, rolling his eyes, “I hate both of you.”
“That’s not what you implied earlier when you were trying to put your hands on-” Jason wiggled his eyebrows.
“Jason, I swear to-”
“This is gold , gotta let the whole clan know. I’m going to text Dick-”
“Don’t you dare, Jason.” Tim pointed a finger at him.
“Or what, replacement?”
“You sure you don’t want to explain yourself, Tim? You know, clarify what you really meant.” You decided to join in the teasing, trying to ignore the fact that you were heavily affected by his actions earlier.
Tim turned to you, his eyes that once looked at you with patience earlier now sends daggers to you. “I hope your tie messes up and you trip over it.”
Jason whistled, “That’s rich coming from a guy who couldn’t tie it properly in the first place.”
“Pretty sure he can, he was just doing it on purpose to-”
Tim’s hand found its way on your mouth.