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“Stephanie?”
Steph ruses to him, clamping a gloved hand over his mouth. “Okay, I know you’re a brainiac and all but how do you know my name? Have you been stalking me?”
Tim wrestles himself out of her grip. “No, I haven’t been stalking you. I just know you... from elsewhere.”
Steph squints, scrutinizing him. “You mean as a civilian.” Tim suddenly feels very exposed, despite the cape and the mask. She begins to compare their heights with her hand.
Tim scoffs, slightly offended. “Look, I’m not that short.”
“Short enough,” she teases, a playful glint in her eyes. “You’re either wearing lifts or I don’t know you, so fess up.”
She just called him short... again! Yes, he is wearing lifts, but that’s not any of her business, now is it? Oh god, he’s shorter than Casey now. The fates sure know how to enact cruel and unusual punishment, specifically for him, who had never done anything wrong in his life.
“Fess what up?” he asks.
“You know my identity, so I think it’s only fair that I know yours.”
“Uh, no thanks.” He could lie. That was very much a thing he could do. A random name lands on his tongue, and it would be so easy to lie. But Steph was right. It wouldn’t be fair to her. Not when they’ve been through so much together.
Steph sends him a glare. “Come on. Is this because I called you short?”
Tim sighs, surveying his surroundings. He beckons her closer, whispering his full name into her ear.
She steps back, gawking at him. “Really? You?”
Tim nods.
“...And you’re also Donnie.”
Tim nods again, albeit slower this time.
“Oh my god,” she whispers.
“Yo, Dee—u—’kay?” Nightwatcher’s voice crackles in Tim’s ear.
His hand flies up to his communicator, turning his back for some privacy. “Yeah, N, I’m fine.”
“Yo—kind of b—king u—re.”
Tim clicks his tongue. Casey—Steph—must have broken it when she bashed him in the face with her hockey stick. He tries to fiddle with the device a little bit, going through the troubleshooting steps.
“Ooh, who ya talking to?” Steph asks, close enough for Tim to feel her breath on his neck. He flinches back in surprise, almost knocking his elbow into her face. “Oy! Watch it, Turtle Boy!”
Tim splutters. “You can’t just sneak up on a guy like that!”
“So what? I’ve been closer before,” Steph teases, a smirk on her lips.
Holy Chalupa...
Tim feels his face heat up, and before he can even think he blurts, “You kissed me!”
Steph raises an eyebrow. “Uh... thanks for noticing?”
“You kissed me. Oh my god, Casey Jones kissed me.”
“Wow, gee, way to make a girl feel special,” Steph deadpans.
Tim’s world starts spinning, making him crouch down with his head in his hands.
“Woah, Dee, you okay?” Steph asks, hovering over him.
Three things immediately come to mind when Tim thinks about Casey Jones: Unpredictability—a whirlwind of energy and chaos incarnate; Stubbornness—an unyielding determination that often bordered on bullheadedness; and Loyalty—a fiercely steadfast ally to his friends and those he cared about.
Similarly, Tim knows three key traits about Stephanie Brown: Passion—her love for technology and gadgets matches his own; Humor—a sharp wit and an infectious laugh; and Adventurousness—Steph’s thrill for risk and new experiences ensures time spent with her is never boring.
And as of this very moment, Tim supposes, he now knows a fourth thing about them that he will never forget: Casey Jones and Stephanie Brown are the same person.
“How are you not freaking out about this?” Tim asks.
Steph blinks. “I mean, I won’t lie and say it’s not weird.” She laughs. “I mean, one minute the guy I was dating was just a cute nerd and the next he turns out to be the nerd I had beef with over the hottest girl we knew.”
Tim’s heart races at her words. So they are dating. Then, just as quickly, memories of a distant life flood into him. His cheeks flush as the second hand embarrassment starts to resurface. He puts his head in his hands, letting out a groan. “Don’t remind me...”
Steph snickers, before relaxing her shoulders. She sits down next to him. "Look. We were both pretty bad. If I ever meet Red again, I owe her an apology.”
He hasn’t thought of April in a while. But damn, yeah. She really does need an apology.
“Me too…” Tim agrees, his eyes lingering on his boots. “So… what do you call yourself? When you’re out like this? Are you using a codename?” Casey hadn’t used one before—unless Goongala counts. But that was more of a catchphrase than a nomme de guerre.
There’s a pause when Steph fiddles with her hockey stick. “Yeah, it’s—okay, don’t laugh but it’s Casey.”
A giggle bubbles in his throat.
“Hey!” Steph protests, punching him on the arm. “I said don’t laugh!”
“Ow! No, I’m not laughing at you, well not directly—don’t-hit-me-again-let-me-explain! It’s just. I use Donatello.”
Steph looks at him. “No shot. You’re just messing with me.”
Tim raises his hands up in a placating manner. “Honest to god.”
She squints. “How come I’ve never heard of you?”
“Well, I tend to stay at base and deal with communications.”
“…You’re the Guy in the Chair.”
“I’m the Guy in the Chair.”
There’s a moment where Steph just stares at him. She then throws her head back and lets out a laugh that always makes Tim’s heart race just a little. “So we’re both using our old names as codenames, huh? Same hat."
Tim looks at her, the realization settling in. "Same hat," he echoes. “I just missed my name. What about you? Why’d you choose Casey?”
“Because it’s a totally rad name?”
“Oh god, you guys have the same personality…” Tim groans, “how did I not see it?”
Steph barks out a laugh. This one a staccato and not as melodious. “Don’t sell yourself short. There were multiple factors working against you.”
“Like the fact that you’re a girl now.”
“Like the fact that I’m a girl now,” Steph repeats. “And you know, how reincarnation isn’t the first thing that comes to mind when you encounter someone acting a tiny bit familiar?”
Before Tim can protest that it was because of this thinking that he was reunited with his family, his intuition flares up. Someone’s nearby. Steph notices too, by the way her breath hitches. They both stand up on instinct, but Tim relaxes when he recognizes the sound of familiar heavy boots dropping into the alley.
Steph gives him a glance but does the same, her grip on her weapon still tight.
“Dude, Dee, if you found Case, why didn’t you say anything,” Nightwatcher says, practically growling. Tim rarely hears Jason with the Nightwatcher voice modulator on—the benefit of a direct line, he supposes. The altered voice is always deeper than he recalls ever being. Maybe Jason deepens it slowly over time so Batman and Robin don't notice, for whatever reason.
Tim looks at Nightwatcher and Steph. “Uh... Casey kinda broke my comms.”
“Not my fault you were creeping on me,” Steph huffs. “A girl’s gotta defend herself from creeps.”
“I wasn’t creeping, I was—“
“Following? Tracking? Stalking?” She snorts. “Guess old habits die hard.”
“I’m gonna choke you.”
“Oh? Sorry, I’m not really into that, Dee.”
Tim sputters, feeling his cheeks flush. “Not like that!” he hisses.
Nightwatcher narrows his eyes, staring at Casey as she laughs again. Tim internally groans—no doubt he recognizes her by now. “Stephanie?”
“Yep.”
“But you two—” he starts, pointing back and forth between the both of them before laughing. “This is too good.” He grabs Tim by the shoulder, leaning on him to support his weight as he guffaws. “You do not know how fucking ironic this is. Oh my god—”
Tim shoves Nightwatcher off. “Can it, meathead.”
“Meathead?” Steph asks, an excitement in her voice. She nervously looks over to Tim, uncharacteristically so, as if afraid to ask, “is it...?” Tim nods and Steph turns back to Nightwatcher. “Raph?”
“Yeah, it’s me, Case.”
Steph strides over to Nightwatcher, holding out an arm. He takes her forearm comfortably and the two stay like that before pulling their hands until their palms touch. They quickly bump their fists before launching into an elaborate set of movements, done with such ease that it seemed like they hadn’t taken a break at all. The slaps and taps get faster until it crescendos into a high five that echoes into the sky.
“Damn, missed you, Raph,” Steph says.
“You telling me. It’s not the same without you, man,” Nightwatcher replies.
“You two are ridiculous,” Tim says, shaking his head.
“You’re just jelly,” Steph smirks. Something flares up inside of Tim. Jealous? Him? Of who—of what? Of their little secret handshake? Why would he be jealous of that?
Nightwatcher suddenly looks away, a hand to his ear. “We got trouble on Sixth Street. You want to join us, Case?”
“Uh... duh.”
He gives her a quick once over. “You got a grapple?”
Steph gestures to herself. “Do I look like I have a grapple? Or can?” Her gear is pretty bulky. It’s designed more for protection and navigating the streets quickly rather than rooftops.
Nightwatcher snorts before pulling Steph closer, a fluid motion that makes her just about yelp as he holds her by the waist. Tim can only stare, a feeling of something in his gut winding tighter. For some reason he doesn’t want his brother to be holding Steph like that.
Which is ridiculous, considering that Casey and Raph are best friends. Who is he to get in the middle of their reunion like that?
“Hang on tight, Case,” Nightwatcher orders and Steph barely has time to put a word in edgewise before they pull up to the roof. Tim stands there for a few more seconds before following, trying to shake the feeling.
The three of them stop a robbery just in time. After patrol, Casey is then introduced to Robin, who introduces her to Batman. The introductions go well. At least, that seems to be the case—on the surface, at least. For some reason, Tim knows that underneath the cowl, Bruce has on an tired, exasperated expression that reads, ‘This might as well happen.’
As she’s forming a fast friendship with Batgirl, Batman brings Tim aside to question him, asking if Steph was a trustworthy ally. “You know her the best, Donatello.”
Does he? If anything, Jason knows more about her than he did.
“Casey’s good,” Tim says. It must have been odd, from Batman’s point of view, how this newbie vigilante seems to be in everyone’s good graces already—despite being so green and so undisciplined.
But Tim also knows that despite what he says, Batman is going to keep his own eyes on her and do his own research. It only makes sense. Tim honestly wishes Stephanie the best of luck.
They don’t tell Steph the others’ identities just yet. It wasn’t pertinent information—and she was on a need-to-know basis. It doesn’t offend Steph, because as far as she’s concerned, she already knows the true identity of the people she actually cared about.
Yes, even Robin didn’t reveal who he was—not as Dick, not as Leo. He claims that he needs to prepare some mental energy before he can deal with the full force of Casey Jones. Which… honestly, fair.
Steph is insistent on spending as much time with them as much as possible, corralling Tim and Jason out to a mall to hang out.
They meet at the foodcourt, and Steph is practically beaming when she spots them. Her meeting with Jason is casual, clasping hands and bumping shoulders. “Damn, Raph, looking good.”
“I’ve always looked good,” Jason jokingly snides. “And it’s Jason—we try to not call each other the Other names when we’re not suited up.”
“Cool, cool, cool, I gotchu, dude,” Steph chirps, understanding the logic. No one would guess Nightwatcher is Jason if he gets called Raph on the field. “Guess I missed that memo in the Reincarnation Handbook, otherwise I would have picked another name.”
“We can call you Arnold to make up for it,” Tim suggests.
Steph gags. “God, Tim. I go by Casey for a reason. And not like you have any room to talk, Dee. Now am I getting my hug, or do I have to force one out of you?”
Tim rolls his eyes before opening his arms. She hugs him before pulling his wrist and Jason’s to a nearby kiosk that sold kitschy phone accessories.
She never got to just chill with the turtles in public. They never had the privilege. Hanging out always meant in the sewers or on a secluded farm. And the only time they were out in the city during the day was to fight. They never got to be normal teenagers, wandering aimlessly around the mall before impulsively entering a store that exclusively sold plushies and collectibles.
The way that Jason and Steph keep leaning against one another makes something form in Tim’s gut. He doesn’t like the feeling, so he avoids any further invitation with both Jason and Steph in attendance.
Tim notices Jason leaving Wayne Manor more often lately, and the pictures he receives tell him that he’s been hanging with Steph. Almost everyday. At one point the two even started tagging the streets like they used to and goaded Robin into chasing them. The second time she invites Tim to the arcade, Steph gets a message on her phone and asks if Jason could join them.
And what was he supposed to say? No?
After that, Jason tags along most of the time, now.
Steph shows up to the Manor one Saturday, an invitation from Jason. It’s her first time over. When she sees Tim in the living room, she does a double take on her phone’s GPS. “Oh shit, Timmy, do you live here too?”
Tim shrugs. “Next door, actually.”
She lets out a giggle of disbelief. “Man, what are the chances?”
“Imagine my surprise when my brother was living next door for years without knowing.”
Steph sucks in her teeth, an emphatic wince in her shoulders. “Oh, that sucks.” There’s a pause before Steph says, “I miss my sister.”
There’s a lingering question there. Would she find her? Is it possible to find her? What of their baby brother? Was it possible to find him, too? “I’m sorry.”
“Yeah.”
“Yo Steph!” Jason calls out.
Tim watches the way Steph's face lights up when Jason walks into the room, an uncomfortable feeling twists in his stomach. It's subtle, but it's there.
Jason throws a casual arm around Steph's shoulder, leading her into the hallway. “Come on, I’ll show you around the place. You can meet the others later.”
Tim, trying to keep his expression neutral, follows behind them. He can’t help but feel like an outsider to the easy camaraderie between Jason and Steph, their banter flowing effortlessly. Every time Steph laughs at one of Jason’s jokes, Tim feels the pit in his stomach grow a little more.
He tries to remind himself that this is normal. Jason and Steph were best friends Before, and it makes sense that they'd still be friends Now—but it doesn't make it any easier to witness how quickly they’ve reconnected.
At some point during the tour, Steph notices Tim’s silence. She gives him a sidelong glance and tilts her head. “You good, Timmy? You’ve been pretty quiet.”
He forces a smile. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just, uh, thinking.”
But Steph isn’t convinced. She narrows her eyes at him, clearly noticing something’s off, but she doesn’t press it. Instead, she loops her arm through Jason’s again, and Tim tries to ignore the ache in his chest. Casey was never this touchy feely in his past life. Why was Steph? Why is it affecting Tim this way?
“Where’s Dick?” Jason asks.
Tim shrugs.
“Dick? He’s your brother, right?” Steph asks.
Jason leans down to whisper in her ear. She whacks him on the shoulder. “No shot! Him? But Robin’s so cool, and Leo’s so—”
“Did you tell her who Dick was?” Tim asks, almost accusatory.
Jason looks over his shoulder at Tim, an eyebrow raised. “Dick said it was okay to tell her. And come on, what’s the problem? It’s just Casey.”
The fact that Stephanie is Casey is the whole problem, Tim wants to say. But he doesn’t, because he didn’t have an explanation why.
“You know, I feel honestly kinda shafted in the reincarnation department,” Steph muses. “I get a shitty dad and y’all get to be the sons of billionaires.”
“Should have been a turtle in your past life, then,” Jason teases. “Besides, my dad ain’t no paragon, either.”
Later, when the three are in the Manor’s den, Jason suggests watching a movie. Steph plops down on the couch beside him, and Tim takes a seat on the other side, feeling more distant than ever.
As the movie plays, Tim’s mind drifts. He knows this feeling is irrational. He knows he shouldn’t care so much about Steph and Jason's friendship, but the more he watches them interact, the more he can’t help but feel like he’s slowly losing her to Jason. Why? Why does he feel this way?
At one point, Steph puts her legs over Jason’s and Tim has to force himself to ignore the two.
When the movie ends and Steph stands to stretch, she looks between the two brothers. “You guys down for a trip to the skatepark later?”
Jason immediately agrees, grinning like a kid. “Hell yeah. It’ll be like old times.”
“Except now we can actually be in a skatepark and not some dingy sewer tunnel.”
“You know what I mean, blondie.”
“Do I?”
Jason puts her into a headlock as she shrieks, angling her arm to tickle Jason’s side to let her go. He’s firm on his hold, squirming slightly but not giving in just yet. She starts to chomp her teeth, as if readying herself to bite Jason’s arm. He retaliates by covering her mouth.
“Ugh, did you just lick me?” he grimaces, but actually refuses to let go. In fact, he clamps his hand around her mouth even tighter. Tim knows Steph is now in a worse situation that she was in previously. What was an attack to make her opponent uncomfortable had backfired, making it way more uncomfortable for her in the process.
Steph’s eyes widen in horror and she taps out. Jason finally releases her and Steph jumps away from him, wiping her mouth with her shirt. “Blech, what is wrong with you, why didn’t you let go?”
“You’re talking to someone who was raised with three brothers—that attack is useless against me.”
Steph snorts. “Alright, ya nasty.” Tim actually chuckles, earning him Steph’s attention. “You coming, Tim?”
Tim hesitates. He does like a good trip to the skatepark. But with Steph and Jason? For some reason, the thought makes him uneasy.
Steph is no klutz on her skates, but the sudden idea of witnessing her trip and Jason being there to catch her... or even vice versa? Tim knows the thought is unlikely and irrational but he can’t stop imagining how close they’d be physically afterwards, hands on the other’s shoulder... hands... waist... The same twists tighten in his stomach.
“No thanks. I, uh, have an assignment I need to work on.”
Steph frowns at him, catching his excuse. “You sure? We can do another day if you want to join.”
He shakes his head, offering a weak smile. “Nah, you guys have fun.”
“If you’re sure...”
“I’m sure.” Tim stands up, excusing himself from the room. “Bye, guys.”
“Bye, Tim,” Jason says, offering a quick two-finger salute.
“See ya, Timmy,” Steph says, waving him off.
Steph and Jason start chatting again and he quickens his steps, long, brisk strides as he leaves the room as soon as possible. Tim says goodbye to Alfred before going back to his home, the empty hallways greeting him. He pops a prepped meal into the microwave and opens his laptop to work on some assignments—because he actually had some—and a case or two as he’s blasting music in his headphones.
He finishes his food and solves a murder case at the same time, sending Bruce his report as he switches windows to his next task. Tim gnaws on his pen as he’s mulling over an equation until it accidentally breaks, exploding ink in his mouth.
Tim grimaces, getting up to clean and change into a new shirt when he notices it was time for his parents’ weekly video call. Ever since he became a vigilante, he just didn’t have the time to call everyday like he used to. They don’t always stick to the weekly schedule, but they do their best.
He sits in front of his webcam, combing his hair with his hands before calling them on video, the melodic ringing and familiar icon dancing on the screen as the call tries to connect. When it does, the first thing Tim sees is his parents’ hotel living room, and he smiles when he sees his dad, standing over the kitchenette with a sandwich in hand.
“Hey sport!” Jack says. “Glad to have caught ya. Sorry, but I gotta run—got a meeting in twenty. Your mom’s got the reins from here.” He gives a brief wave, notably with the hand holding the sandwich. “Love ya, kid. Talk soon.”
“Love you too, Dad,” Tim replies, watching as Jack disappears from view, leaving him with his mom.
His mother slides into frame, wearing a comfortable sweater and her usual calm expression. “Hey, honey,” she says, her voice warm. “How’s my favorite son?”
Tim smirks. “Mom, I’m your only son.”
She chuckles. “Which is why you’re the best.” She pauses, studying him for a second. “But something’s off. What’s going on? You look a little down.”
Tim bites the inside of his cheek, unsure where to even start. He leans back in his chair, trying to get more comfortable. “It’s… nothing major. I just—well, I guess it’s about my—my friends.”
“Oh?” Janet raises an eyebrow, intrigued. “And do these friends have names?”
“Jason and Steph,” Tim offers.
“Steph—that’s the girl you’ve been hanging out with, right? The one you like?”
Tim feels his face warm. Did he (still) like her? “She’s... just a friend.” It feels weird to say, but what else were they? They couldn’t still be dating, right? Not when she’s Casey and he’s Donnie.
“Sure, honey. Just a friend,” Janet replies, the skepticism in her voice not lost on him. She adjusts her position, giving Tim her full attention. “So, what happened with Jason and Steph?”
Tim sighs, rubbing his temples as he tries to find the right words. There’s so many things he can’t tell her. “They’ve... just met...” The lie feels strange on his tongue, but how did one explain the situation? “But they’ve also been spending a lot of time together lately, and I guess I find it... weird? I guess that’s the word, weird, how they’re basically glued to the hip right now.”
Janet hums thoughtfully, nodding along. “And how does that make you feel?”
Tim scoffs, realizing how much this sounds like therapy, but he goes with it. “It feels… bad. I don’t know why, but I just don’t like it. They have this connection, and every time I’m around them, I don’t like it when they’re... close. And it’s dumb, because Jason’s my—he’s like my brother, and Steph’s my friend, but…” He trails off, his voice barely above a whisper. “It doesn’t feel good when I see them together.”
Janet’s eyes soften as she watches her son. She gives him a few moments of silence, allowing him to gather his thoughts before speaking. “Sweetheart, it sounds like what you’re feeling is jealousy.”
Tim blinks, taken aback by her words. “Jealousy? Of Jason?”
Jealous. Tim is no stranger to the feeling. He knows what jealousy feels like, especially when it’s directed at someone else. He’s felt jealous countless times in the Before whenever Casey got close to April. Why would he feel jealous of Jason getting close to Steph? That would be the equivalent of him getting jealous of Raph being close with Casey. Right?
Janet nods, her tone gentle. “Yes. It’s okay, Tim. It’s normal to feel jealous when someone you care about starts spending time with someone else—especially when that someone else is close to you too. You probably feel like Steph’s attention is being taken away from you, and that can make you feel insecure. It’s a very human emotion.”
Oh. Holy crap. He really was jealous. He’s jealous of them getting so close, and in such a tactile way, unlike Before. There’s more hugging, more lingering touches, more contact. Things that Steph has done to him, things he wishes Steph only did to him.
Tim’s face heats up. He furrows his brow, fidgeting with the sleeve of his shirt. “But I don’t want to be jealous. It’s stupid. Jason and Steph deserve to be friends. I shouldn’t feel like this.”
Janet smiles softly. “There’s nothing stupid about it, honey. Feelings are feelings. They don’t always make sense, but they’re still valid. The important thing is recognizing them and figuring out what to do next.”
Tim lets out a deep breath, processing her words. But he doesn’t want to feel like this. Not towards his brother. Not with Steph. “So… what do I do? How do I stop feeling like this?”
Janet’s expression turns thoughtful. “Well, for one, you don’t have to ‘stop’ feeling anything. Jealousy isn’t something you can just switch off. But you can talk about it—maybe with Steph or Jason. It might help to clear the air, especially if it’s starting to weigh on you.”
Tim chews on his bottom lip, considering her suggestion. “Talk to them, huh? I don’t know… I don’t want to make things awkward. What if they think I’m being ridiculous?”
They would probably never let him live this down.
Janet’s smile widens. “They’re your friends, Tim. They care about you. I don’t think they’d find your feelings ridiculous. You’re allowed to feel this way—it just means you value your relationships with them. Besides, it’s always better to be open about how you’re feeling than to let it eat away at you.”
Tim sighs again, nodding slowly. “I—I suppose you’re right.” It wouldn’t hurt to try.
“I’m always right,” Janet says playfully, earning a small smile from Tim. “But seriously, honey, don’t beat yourself up over this. Just talk to them when you’re ready. I’m sure they’ll understand.”
Tim sits in silence for a moment. Would they? He’s unsure, but his mom’s words were so earnest, maybe he can afford to believe them. “Thanks, Mom. I... I needed to hear that.”
Janet smiles, her expression full of warmth and pride. “Anytime, Tim. You’re a good kid, and you’ve got a big heart. Don’t let this get you down.”
Tim chuckles softly. “I’ll try not to.”
They spend the next few minutes chatting about lighter topics, and by the time the call ends, Tim feels a little better, like a weight has been lifted from his chest. He’s barely gone back to work on another case when he hears a knock at the door. He looks at his watch, who could that be at this hour?
Tim cracks open the door and his heart skips a beat when he sees Steph standing outside, shifting on her feet. He wasn’t expecting her. Swallowing down the nervousness rising in his chest, he pulls the door open all the way.
“Hey, Steph,” Tim greets, his voice a bit more awkward than he’d intended.
“Hey, Timmy,” she says with a small smile. “Can I come in?”
He steps aside, letting her enter. “Yeah, sure. Uh, what’s up?”
Steph walks in, glancing around as if to stall for a moment before turning to face him. Her expression is more serious than usual, her brow slightly furrowed. “I wanted to talk to you about something. You’ve been acting… kinda weird lately.”
Tim immediately stiffens. “Weird? No, I’m not—what do you mean?”
Steph crosses her arms, giving him a pointed look. “C’mon, Tim. Don’t pretend like I wouldn’t notice. You’ve been quieter than usual, and I don’t know… distant? Is something wrong?”
Tim feels his stomach drop. He really hadn’t been as subtle as he thought. “No, nothing’s wrong.”
Steph tilts her head, her eyes narrowing as if she’s trying to piece together his response. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No!” he says a bit too quickly.
“No?”
He looks down, suddenly feeling a bit exposed. A part of him wants to deflect, to brush it off like it’s nothing, but another part knows he needs to admit the truth. He wasn’t remotely ready to have this conversation yet, but he supposes it’s better to rip the bandaid off.
Tim sighs, wringing his fingers together. “It’s just… you keep inviting Jason.”
“I asked you if it was alright.”
“I know that! But. Having him come along every time is… it’s weird.”
“What’s weird about Jason? Did he do something?”
“No. I mean. Not really. It’s both of you. You and Jason. You guys have been spending a lot of time together, which is fine, obviously. But I guess it made me feel… weird.”
Steph’s eyes soften, and she takes a step closer to him. “Weird? Like how?”
Tim hates how vulnerable he feels. “I don’t know. It’s stupid. I guess it just felt like since you and Jason are so close, like super close, that I don’t really know where I stand.”
“What do you mean? We’ve always been close,” Steph says.
“It’s different,” Tim objects. “You’re always h-hugging his arm and draping your legs over him. You’ve never done that before.”
“Casey doesn’t do that, but Stephanie does,” Steph succinctly says, crossing her arms. There’s a brief silence as Steph watches him, her expression unreadable. Then, a slow smile spreads across her face, and she lets out a quiet laugh. “Oh my god. Timmy, you’re jealous.”
Tim’s face flushes instantly, his eyes widening. “What? No, I—”
“Tim,” Steph interrupts, stepping closer until she’s right in front of him. She gives him an amused look, her voice soft and teasing. “You’re totally jealous.”
He rubs the back of his neck, feeling the heat rising in his cheeks. “I’m not—okay, maybe a little. But it’s not like that! I just—”
“Tim,” Steph cuts him off again, her tone a mix of exasperation and affection. “That’s… honestly kinda cute.”
Tim stares at her, bewildered. “Cute? How is this cute?”
Steph grins, her eyes sparkling with amusement. “You’re jealous of me hanging out with Jason. You’re jealous of Jason because I’m more touchy-feely with him. I mean, you’re like, one of the smartest people I know, but right now, you’re acting like a total dork.” She pokes him lightly in the chest. “It’s adorable.”
“It’s embarrassing is what it is,” Tim mutters. When Steph laughs, he covers his face with a groan.
She grabs his wrists, pulling his hands away from his face so she can look at him. “Hey, no. It’s okay. I get it. But you don’t have to worry about me and Jason. He’s my friend, I love him, but not in the way that I currently like you.”
Tim blushes, trying to reply. He can’t though, his words catching in his throat.
“I flirt with you, dude. I don’t flirt with Jason. I don’t think I can ever flirt with him. And I certainly can’t imagine kissing him either. And I know we didn't always get along back then but even after knowing that you're Donnie, it doesn't change how I feel about you."
Tim blinks, his heart doing a little flip at her words. “It doesn't?”
“No. Does it change how you feel about me now that you know I'm Casey?”
Does it? His feelings are all over the place—memories old and new mixing with one another. He knows he doesn’t like it when Steph so effortlessly touches Jason so casually—but the situation turns on its head when Tim is reminded that it’s just Casey with his bro Raph.
He likes Steph. He likes their dates. But Casey?
Tim is... at a loss. He genuinely is unsure and he decides to answer honestly. “...I don’t think so, at least not at the very moment.”
Steph smiles softly, taking a step closer to him. Without warning, she launches forward, headbutting Tim, using her hold on his wrists to keep him in place.
“Ow! What the hell was that for?” he groans.
“You’re an idiot, Tim,” she says, releasing his wrists. “That’s not an answer any girl ever wants to hear. But you know what? I’m letting you off the hook for now. You got lucky this time.”
Tim winces, still feeling the sting. “Gee, thanks.” He’s rubbing his forehead when she flicks his ear. “Haven’t you done enough harm, woman?”
Steph pinches his arm.
“Stop!” he screeches, slapping her fingers away.
“But,” she adds, her eyes narrowing as she points a finger at him—he actually gets on the defensive, ready to counter any poke or prodding she wants to inflict on him, “I expect a real answer soon.”
Tim sighs, relaxing his position, feeling both relieved and anxious. He runs a hand through his hair. “...Do I have to?”
Steph feints an attack, which makes him put up his hands again. “Okay, yeah, fine, yeah! I will, I will.”
She gives him one last grin. “Good. I’ll be waiting, Timmy.”
With that, she walks past him and out the door, leaving him standing there, rubbing his wounds and equally curious on what his own answer will be.