In the neighborhood...

[notafraidofyou]

Okay, well, maybe Tim hadn't exactly been in the neighborhood.  It's possible that he took two trains and four buses to get into the neighborhood.  And maybe skipped some school.

Okay, he skipped the whole day.

But he's here!  He shifts the weight of his backpack on his shoulders and knocks at the door to Dick's apartment.

Comments

[things_change]

The knock is unexpected, and Dick frowns. He wasn't expecting anyone. He gets up and checks before he answers the door. Tim? Opening the door, he gives him a puzzled smile. "Hey. What's the occasion?"

[notafraidofyou]

Tim beams and sidesteps him, letting himself into the apartment. "Just thought I'd stop in for a visit."

[things_change]

Dick rolls his eyes, smirking as he shuts the door behind them. "Uh huh. How'd you get here, anyway?"

[notafraidofyou]

"It's not really like you were hard to find," he says, deliberately misinterpreting the question. "I mean--your address is in the computer and everything. Along with all of your other personal information. Hey, I didn't know you had a birthmark on your--"

[things_change]

"Hey!" Dick reaches out and smacks Tim lightly across the back of his head. "Never mind that I'm pretty sure Alfred would have just told you my address--and given you a ride--that wasn't what I meant and you know it. What, did you walk here?"

[notafraidofyou]

"Where's the fun in that?" He rolls his eyes a little. "And no, I did not walk here. I am very familiar with the public transportation system, thank you very much."

[things_change]

Dick snorts. "Admit it--you just wanted to get into my file." He crosses the room to drop onto the couch. "So who knows you're here? Or am I going to get a call from Alfred when school gets out and you don't go home?"

[notafraidofyou]

Tim gives him a wary look. Huh. So Dick knows he skipped school. "I sent Bruce a text when I got off the bus."

[things_change]

Dick returns the wary look. "Please tell me you rode in the bus."

[notafraidofyou]

"...Which one?"

[things_change]

Dick groans and drops his head against the back of the couch. "Okay, how many kinds of transportation did you take and how many of them did you pay for?"

[notafraidofyou]

Tim throws himself onto the couch next to him and swings around, kicking up his feet to rest on the armrest as he leans back against Dick. "Rode inside the cars on the trains--too long a ride to hang out on the roof. I rode inside the last bus, too, because I thought it might look weird if I showed up in your neighborhood on top of a bus, you know. So what?"

[things_change]

Dick snorts and tousles Tim's hair. "So, most people ride inside the bus. Especially during the day."

[notafraidofyou]

Tim wrinkles his nose, tipping his head back to look up at Dick. "Yeah, but they're all boring."

[things_change]

Dick smirked, shaking his head. "They're also all unnoticeable, which is kind of the point. A kid sitting on the roof of a moving bus during the day is going to attract some attention, short stuff."

[notafraidofyou]

Tim rolls his eyes. "Like anyone cares! Anyone who saw me probably thought I was just trying to skip out on the fare, or something." Which... is not entirely untrue. As much as he likes the rush of riding on top of buses and trains, he also wants to hang onto his allowance. Spending it on bus and train rides feels stupid.

[things_change]

Dick grins down at him. "Which is of course totally not true."

[notafraidofyou]

"No way! I do it for fun." He grins back. "Come on. If you had to take public transportation instead of that sweet bike, you'd do the same thing."

[things_change]

Dick leans back and crosses his arms behind his head, grinning. "Fortunately for me, I have a license and said sweet bike, so it's not an issue, is it?"

[notafraidofyou]

"Not until you critique my method of transit," Tim says, elbowing him in the side.

[things_change]

"Critique your method of transit?" Dick repeats, batting Tim's elbow away and poking him in the ribs in retaliation. "How much time are you spending with Alfred these days, anyway?"

[notafraidofyou]

Tim rolls his eyes. "I do actually know some big words, birdbrain," he says, squirming away from Dick's poking fingers. "Plus, he's been looking over my homework and editing my papers. He's tough."