Shakespearean - JayTim - Camp NaNoWriMo - July 2017

Chapter 9 - Dinner

When the movie was finished, Jason was quite a bit shocked by how much of the snacks the two of them had managed to polish off. He stood up and stretched his limbs out, arching his back. "That was a good movie, Timmers. I still prefer reading the original script, though."

Tim nodded from the other side of the desk where he was also stretching. "I figured. You're a book person, like me."

"So what now? Do I need to leave so you can get ready to have company over or what?"

Tim actually laughed. "For Clark and Conner? Please. They're pretty much family at this point. I wouldn't clean my room for them if Clark was the President of the United States. No, you can stick around as long as you want."

Jason thought about it. If there wasn't anything to study or a movie to watch, this just might get awkward. Jason wasn't exactly the best at socializing and maintaining a conversation. But he really didn't want to leave yet. He liked hanging out with Tim, and he wanted to get to know him better. The chances of them having a thing were minimal, but Jason would love to have Tim as a friend. He was smart and funny, and they got along pretty well.

Before Jason could say anything though, the door opened again. "Hey Tim- woah, you have a friend over." Jason wanted to say he was surprised at seeing an entirely different tall guy with blue eyes and black hair bang into Tim's room, but he had figured out by now that only the unexpected happened when one was around Tim Drake.

They guy took a second to survey Jason before smiling and stepping towards him, extending his hand just as Dick had. "Hey, you must be Jason. Tim told me you were going to help him with his Shakespeare. I'm Conner."

Now that Jason knew who this was, he could definitely see the uncanny resemblance between him and Professor Kent. It was almost like he was looking at a younger, cloned version of the professor. "Yeah, that's me. You must be Professor Kent's kid. Tim told me you were a good friend of his."

Conner's smile was warm. "The one and only Conner Kent at your service. Now that you mention him, I do remember my dad telling me that he met you. You made a good impression."

Jason mentally patted himself on the back, but externally he only nodded and smiled. "That's good to know."

Tim cleared his throat, as if reminding the two of them that he was still there. "Conner, I wasn't expecting you guys until dinner time." His tone seemed pointed, and Jason looked over his shoulder to see that Tim was almost glaring at Conner.

The other man only smiled bigger. "It is dinner time, Tim. Alfred sent me up here to get you." He turned to Jason. "Bruce wanted me to tell you that you are welcome to stay for dinner, too."

Jason was about to politely decline with a clichéd 'I don't want to intrude' when Tim spoke up first. "Sorry, Jason, but when Bruce Wayne invites somebody to dinner, if really means that he's holding you against your will until you've eaten your fill of the best food in Gotham City." He gave Jason a meaningful look. "You remember when I said Alfred is a ninja?"

Jason nodded and Conner whistled, nodding solemnly. "Yeah," Conner said. "Good luck getting out of here hungry."

Jason couldn't help chuckling. "Awe, if you guys wanted me to stay for dinner you could have just said so."

Tim rolled his eyes and Conner smiled. "I like this guy, Tim. You sure know how to pick your targets for coffee spills."

The youngest groaned and stomped out of the room. Jason and Conner shared an amused look before following him down the stairs to the dining room. It seemed that everyone else had already congregated. Bruce Wayne sat at the head of the table, with Clark Kent to his right and a small child, approximately seven or eight, to the left. Dick was sitting next to Clark, for some reason, and Tim sighed harshly as he made his way down to sit next to the child, who Jason assumed was Damian, the one that Tim really didn't like. Damian didn't seem too happy about the arrangement either. On the other side of Dick, there was a tall, skinny redhead who was talking to Dick animatedly, flinging his arms about in quick gestures. Conner sat across from the redhead and next to Tim. On the other side of him, there was a girl about the same age as Conner and Tim, who also had black hair and blue eyes, though she appeared to be of Middle Eastern descent as well. While there was another seat at the other head of the table open, Jason didn't even consider sitting there. The only seat that was really an option was the one next to the redhead. He made his way over to the seat, but Professor Kent spoke before he could sit down.