Tim Drake Gets the Love he Deserves

Kitty Kitty

"Alfred?" Tim asked, looking around the kitchen to make sure nobody else was around. 

"Yes, Master Tim?" Alfred asked, turning towards him. After Tim has asked him not to call him "Timothy", because he wanted Damian to be able to call him something just for him, Alfred had graciously agreed, smiling that knowing smile he always got. 

"I was wondering if I could ask you something? Or, more like... Get permission?"

----

"Dames." Tim whispered, knocking on Damian's door lightly and then opening it. 

Damian looked up from where he was drawing on a piece of paper, smiling a very, very, small smile, so small it would have gone unnoticed to anyone but Tim and Cass, and put down his pencil, setting his face into one of calm blankness. 

Tim didn't like it when Damian did that. It reminded him too much of his parents Upper Class Training that was still drained into his mind. No child should have to hide their emotions. Not like Tim did. 

That would be one of the things Tim worked on in Operation make Damian as happy as can be and shower him with affection. 

"Yes, Timothy?" The child asked, blinking. 

Tim couldn't help the smile that came across his face at hearing Damian speak his name. He was so used to Other Damian referring to him as Drake, that it always took him by surprise. It was a welcome surprise, and Tim wouldn't want to any other way. 

"We're going out." 

"Who is?" 

"Just me and you. Alfred needs us to pick some things up from the store."

One of the first things Damian learned in "Family Training" was that when Alfred asked for something, you did it no question about it. 

"Very well." Damian stood, slipping his shoes on easily. "Let us go then."

... 

They stood in front of a store, Tim looking down at Damian with a wide grin. 

"Timothy..." Damian said, "This is an animal shelter?" 

Tim nodded. "Right you are, Dami. We're here to get a kitten."

"A kitty?" Damian's eyes widened with hope, one of the most childish faces he's ever made. It made Tim happy to see him like that. 

"Mmhmm. Come on, let's go." Tim wrapped his arm around Damian's shoulders and led him inside the shelter. 

"Welcome to Gotham's Animal Shelter!" a kind looking man said, smiling brightly at them. "How can I help you?" 

"We'd like to adopt a kitten." Tim said. "Do you have any?" 

The man nodded. "Yeah, we do. They were found in an alley, a month ago. Siblings, but their mother had unfortunately died. We just nursed them back to health. I'll need to see some ID and all of that if you want to adopt though. We'll need to run some background checks."

"Totally understandable." Tim said, handing over the ID he and Babs had just finished making a few days ago. "Thank you-" he squinted at the man's nametag- "Ryland." 

Ryland smiled. "No problem. Just go sit over in those chairs and I'll be right with you."

It didn't take long and soon enough, Ryland was leading them to the back, where two kittens slept peacefully, curled around each other. 

One was a dark tabby cat, with bright green eyes that blinked lazily up at them. The kitten yawned, and closed its eyes again, ignoring their presence. The other was an orange cat with random tufts of white here and there. This cat didn't stir at all. 

"They're siblings?" Damian whispered. 

Ryland nodded. "Yeah, they're both female."

Damian sighed. "We cannot take them." 

Tim quirked an eyebrow. "Why not?"

"They are siblings, Timothy. It would be cruel to separate them after all they've been through." Damian reasoned, looking up at his older brother. 

Timothy met his eyes, his own glinting with pride. "Right you are, Dames." 

He turned to Ryland. "We'll take them both."

"Fantastic!" Ryland said, grinning. "Let's get you set up."

... 

"Master Tim?" Alfred asked, once he spotted the kittens held in each of the boy's hands. 

"Sorry Alfie." Tim whispered, glancing at Damian, who was listening with rapt attention to Ryland, who was explaining how to take care of the kittens. "He didn't want to separate them." 

Alfred sighed, but smiled nonetheless. "Understandable, young sir. But you will be in charge for any and all mischievousness that occurs."

Tim saluted, saying, "Yes sir."

Alfred nodded. "Very well. Let us head home then."

... 

"Are those kittens?" Jason asked, once he'd come home from the Mountain. 

Tim grinned. "Yep. This one is Ruby," he said, holding up the orange kitten, who wrapped her arms around his shoulder. 

"And this is Druk." Damian said, showing her off proudly. 

Dick raised an eyebrow. "Beautiful name. What's it mean?"

Damian glanced at Tim, who smiled encouragingly. 

"It means "Dragon."" 

Jason and Dick blinked. 

"Dragon?" 

"Yes." 

"As in... Drake?" 

"Correct." Damian looked at them in challenge, as if daring them to argue his new kitten's namesake. 

"That's so cute." Dick murmured, looking as if Christmas came early. 

Tim ruffled Damian's hair, handing him Ruby. "Why don't you take them to Cass's room to meet Steph, Cass, and Duke? I'm sure they'd love to pet some kittens."

Damian nodded, and disappeared upstairs. 

Once he was out of hearing range, the two oldest turned back to Tim. 

"He named his kitten after you." Jason said. 

Tim grinned. "Looks like I'm the favorite brother in this universe." he said, before walking away. 

"Wait-" Dick said, jaw dropping, "Who was the favorite brother before?"

Tim kept walking, his shoulders starting to shake with laughter. 

"Tim! Timbers!!! Who was Damian's favorite? Tim?!"

Tim's cackles were their only answer. 

........
Yes Damian named his kitten after Tim. It seemed fitting, and Druk is an awesome name and I have no regrets.

Also please note that I've never adopted a kitten before. I do have 2 cats, but Luna was given to us many years ago by a family friend, and Echo (who Ruby is based off) was given to me by my best friend around a year ago. I have no idea how it works and I have a migraine so I didn't do any research. I'm basically guessing.

Also, some of you might recognize Ryland. I'm sure you can see where this is going. I love Ryland, and I've decided he'll be in this universe too.