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Tim Drake pushed the door open for Caffeine Crematorium and took in a deep breath at the smell of freshly ground espresso beans and looked around. The coffee shop was busy as always. CC was the most popular coffee shop in Gotham City at this point with lines that sometimes went out the door. The owner, Danny and his triples, Dani and Dan ran the shop together, the three working together in an impressive cohesion.
It was a nice shop, Tim’s favorite, in fact with a gimmicky ghost and death theme that wasn’t too silly but if anything, rather charming. Tim made his way up to the counter and gave Danny a soft smile.
They had been doing this for a while now. Light flirting with one another, sweet smiles cast across the shop, yet neither of them seemed to have the confidence to go further than that.
“Let me guess, a Black as Your Soul Espresso?” Danny asked with a smirk as soon as Tim made it up to the counter.
Tim grinned and rocked on his heels. “Actually I want a vanilla ghoulatte,” he said and Danny gave him a sour look.
“You’re the worst,” he declared as he put the order in and Tim swiped his card.
“I gotta keep you on your toes somehow,” Tim crooned. Danny gave him that pretty smile that always made Tim’s heart flip and the CEO made his way towards his usual table and sat back in the plush chair as he watched Danny switch places with his sister and start working on Tim’s coffee.
The man was beautiful.
Long black hair pulled back in a bun to keep it out of his face, bright cerulean blue eyes that caught Tim from a mile away, he had an alternative look about him that Tim just ate up. Because yes, he had a type, okay. And Danny checked every single box on that type. The only thing that stopped Tim from trying to make things go further was the fact that this was Danny’s job. Sure, he was the owner, but it was still his job and he was likely just being friendly with Tim.
He knew who Tim was, he made jokes about it for fuck’s sake. But he was likely just being nice because of who Tim was, not because he was actually flirting or actually was interested in him. He wasn’t going to flirt with a man who was working and likely just being nice. He imagined Danny had rapport with all of his regulars, Tim wasn’t special.
“Order for Moth! Vanilla Ghoulatte!” Danny called and Tim let out a soft chuckle as he got up. The game had started when Tim first came to Caffeinated Crematorium. He had put in his order and Danny had just stared at him confused.
“Is that all?” Danny asked, blinking in confusion.
“Don’t you need my name for my order?” Tim asked, tilting his head to the side.
Danny laughed. “I’m sure everyone knows who you are. I don’t need your name.I
Ten minutes later Tim had heard it. “Black As Your Soul Espresso for Duck.”
It had taken a moment, but Tim had realized it was him. From there, Danny had started getting creative with Tim’s name, using different variations of his name, coming up with his own nicknames, each one more ridiculous than the last.
“Moth?” Tim asked as he grabbed his coffee, quirking up his lips in a small smile.
“You know, Tim-Moth-y,” Danny said with a soft laugh. Tim snorted and took a sip of his latte, going to respond when a scream was heard from outside.
“Fuck,” Tim groaned as an alarm went off on everyone’s phones. He pulled his out and made a face.
“Who is it?” Danny asked nervously, leaning against his counter.
“Condiment King,” Tim said with a groan, shoving his phone in his pocket. “Down the street.”
Danny’s head dipped in defeat as his sister started giggling behind him.
“Danny,” she sang. “This one’s all on you.”
Danny glared at her but Tim tilted his head to the side, confused. What on earth were they talking about?
“How is this one on me?” He demanded. “It’s condiments!”
“Because you have the only powers that can create shields since Dan isn’t here today,” Dani exclaimed, pointing a canister of whipped cream at the man. “Now put something up because I’m sure as hell not cleaning up his mess if he gets into this shop.”
“You could just fight him!” Danny exclaimed and Dani pursed her lips.
“Rock, paper, scissors?” She suggested and Danny nodded. The two bounced their fists in the air before Dani slapped her paper over Danny’s rock. “Hah, get out there bitch.”
Danny gave her a look of annoyance, turned to look at Tim and smiled in apology.
“Please don’t be freaked out?” He asked before he stepped out from behind the counter and made his way outside before Tim could even think of a response.
“What is he doing?” Tim asked, looking over at Dani who just shrugged her shoulders.
“Making sure Condiment King doesn’t fuck up the shop. How else do you think we’ve lasted this long without some Gotham super villain or criminal ruining everything we’ve built?” She asked as she took a sip of her tea.
“You mentioned powers?” He asked and Dani nodded.
“Danny thinks you wouldn’t be interested in him if you knew,” Dani told him as if that were an answer. Tim looked back out the door as green constructs suddenly went up around the shop. If he didn’t know better, he’d have thought it was a Green Lantern outside.
A large green shield wrapped around the entirety of the building and he watched through the window as Danny threw his head back in annoyance as he was shot with a stream of mustard right in the back.
Dani let out a soft snicker. “That’s not coming out,” she said, hiding her face behind her hands as she tried to smother her giggles.
Danny stood outside of the shop, head hung in disappointment and Tim was tempted to go out and comfort him but instead watched as suddenly the mustard fell to the ground and he walked into the shop.
“That’s cheating,” Dani shouted, pointing a finger at the man as soon as he walked through the doors. “You’re supposed to be covered in mustard.”
“You want me to smell like vinegar all day?” Danny asked incredulously.
Tim looked between the two, feeling completely and utterly lost. Obviously the triplets had some kind of powers but he wasn’t sure what. Were they metas? Aliens? He wasn’t sure but now he desperately wanted answers.
“You’ve got questions, don’t you?” Danny asked with a small smile.
“ Just a few,” Tim stated, sitting at one of the bar chairs. Danny gave him that dazzling smile as he rested his arms on the bar and looked Tim over.
“Maybe I can take you to dinner tonight and we can talk about it then?” He asked, tilting his head to the side, eyes roving over Tim.
Tim grinned at him. “Like a date?”
“Like a date, Moth,” he said simply. “Unless the powers really freaked you out.”
Tim laughed and shook his head. “Absolutely not. I’d love to get dinner with you. But I think we’re also going to be stuck in here for a while until The Signal and the cops can take down Condiment Man.”
“I’ll give you two space,” Dani sang, flitting away.
“So, alien?” Tim asked.
“Half human, half creature from a different dimension,” Danny told him. “They’re called ghost but not like ghosts from dead people. Honestly, not really ghosts at all, we’re actually ectoentities but the ghosts prefer to go by ghosts.”
Tim let out a soft laugh. “Sounds complicated,” he said with a chuckle.
Danny nodded. “You have no idea.”
“Tell me more?” Tim asked, eyes sparkling as Danny launched into the biological complexities that made up ghosts and Tim listed with rapt attention, already excited for their date that evening.