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Tim grunted as he watched the coffee pot fill up with the dark caffeinated liquid. He was standing at the counter watching it fill up as he had his head laying on his arms. There was a blanket wrapped around his flame which kind of looked like a cape it even dragged across the floor like one.
He knew that if he was caught Bruce would ground him for eight months no matter if he was an adult or not but Tim didn’t have the energy to care at the moment.
He had come across a big case something that the entire Bat-Family had been trying to solve for months now and he felt like he was just a few more cups of coffee away from solving. He would never admit that that was the same thing he had said the night before and the night before that.
“I don’t need sleep, I need answers,” Tim said to himself, quoting one of his favorite lines from the Big Bang Theory as he watched the coffee nearly finish filling up the pot.
Tim sighed as he reached up to the cabinets to grab a mug to pour his coffee in but when he did he stopped as the coffee machine beeped signing that it was finished. Tim looked at the machine for a moment before looking at the mugs and then back at the machine.
For a few moments, he just stood there thoughts clearing running through his mind before he shrugged and closed the cabinet that held all the mugs. As he walked towards the machine he carefully picked up the glass pot and began walking away with it.
Tim knew that this would surely give him away but for the past four days he been hoarding mugs upon mugs in his room and he knew once he brought them all into the kitchen to wash them that that would give him away as well. At this point, Tim was too tired to care how he got caught but that didn’t mean he was going to stop.
He quietly started heading back upstairs his bare feet patting across hardwood floors and carpeted floors as he made his way back to his room. As he started walking down the second floor to get to the third he suddenly came to a stop.
Tim’s head snapped to the side as he heard a noise which made him stiffen slightly. For a moment he thought it was one of his brothers or maybe Alfred until he remembered the time.
It was one of those rare nights when everyone including Bruce was asleep which was hard to come in their strange family so it couldn’t be any of them since all of them were on the third floor asleep.
Tim felt his stomach sink as he listened for the sound hearing it coming once again from what he knew was the laundry room. He put a stern expression across his face as he started to walk towards the door ready to use the glass pot and the scolding coffee inside of it as a weapon if he needed to.
He knew that it was unlikely that the manor could be broken into but at the same time anything was possible.
Tim watched the laundry room door as he got closer and closer to it lifting up his hand and placing it against the dark wooden door his eyes narrowing as he heard yet another sound. Tim silently hoped that it was just one of Damian’s many, many animals since he wasn’t really in any shape to fight. With one deep breath, he pushed the door open wincing as it creaked knowing that it had just given him away.
He held his breath as the door creaked all the way open and he looked with wide confused eyes at what he saw. It wasn’t one of Damian’s animals or a thief but instead, it really was one of his brothers.
There sitting on a random wooden chair was Jason, a cigarette hanging from his mouth waiting to be lit, but instead of a lighter in his hand there a clothing iron.
Time stood there blinking the confused expression still across his face as he stood there looking over his second oldest brother.
“Staring isn’t nice, Baby Bird,” Jay said from around the cigarette not turning to look at his brother as he watched the iron. “We both know this isn’t the weirdest thing you’ve found me doing,” He said as his eyes still on the iron but out of the corner of his eye, he could see Tim blink.
“Yeah, you’re right about that one,” Tim said giving out a little laugh unable to help himself as he leaned against the doorframe pulling the blanket tighter around him. “You know that’s not good for you right?” He asked knowing full well that Jason knew it wasn’t.
“Neither is drinking an entire pot of coffee,” Jay said still not taking his eyes off of the iron that was actually starting to lit the cigarette in his mouth.
“Touché,” Tim said a small laugh leaving him as he shook his head and without missing a beat brought the pot of coffee to his mouth and took a sip from the still burning liquid.
Tim couldn’t help but smile as he watched Jason laugh a little at his words and at his actions.
“You’re a strange one, Baby Bird,” Jay said finally turning to look towards Tim as the clothing iron finally lit the cigarette. There was a brightness in his eyes which years ago hadn’t been there.
“As are you, JayBird,” Tim answered back bringing the glass pot up as if giving a toast.” Then again our entire family is,” He said laughing a little more before bringing the pot back to his lips to take another sip.
“I’ll smoke to that,” Jay said taking his cigarette out of his mouth and raising it slightly before bringing it back,
For a moment the two just stayed there in silence both smiling softly and enjoying one another’s company before Tim turned to leave.
“Don’t forget to open the window so the smoke and smell air out,” Tim commented, a smile on his face as he turned to leave.
“And don’t forget to put the coffee pot back before you pass out,” Jay said as he leaned back in his chair
and moved his hand to open up the window as Tim had reminded him.
“Goodnight, Jay,” Tim called back over his shoulder as he started heading to the third floor once more.
“Night, Tim,” Jay called over to him before turning his head back to the window look outside.
Both enjoying the rest of their late night.