Gotham's Faith - Part 1
Gotham's Faith is a multi-part @whumptober 2025 fic, shared out of order based on prompt day. All parts are tagged 'gotham's faith' and the whole thing will be posted on Ao3. Eventually.
Day 20 - Fancy Event
Dick isn’t entirely sure what’s off about how Tim moves through the museum. He’s seen his brother circle crowds numerous times - at fundraisers, galas, holiday parties. Tim’s not even here as CEO of Wayne Enterprises, he’s here because he’d been honestly interested in the museum’s new exhibit and the social pressure the elite feel to be seen. As Dick has learned from experience, if you don’t give the public something to talk about, they’ll find something.
No one wants paparazzi at the Manor, and fluff pieces about wardrobes and who you’re seen with are easier to seed and deal with.
It’s why Dick’s here. He’s not entirely gone from Gotham’s eye, but living in Bludhaven means he’s not frequently in the celebrity section. He had a free night, Tim mentioned the exhibit, and this was a chance to kill two birds with one stone. Hang out with the baby bird and allow a few photos.
Dick wanders. The exhibit is on daguerreotypes, early photographs of the 1840s and 1850s. Tim had been excited, rambling about the chemical process in on car ride here. He’d thought the situation would continue, the two of them wandering the museum while Tim talked his ear off. Only…
Only he’s wandering around solo.
Dick takes another sip of his wine, watching his brother. He feels a little left out and abandoned, but he knows this isn't intentional. Tim had wanted to spend this time with Dick. They’d just gotten ambushed, so many people wanting to talk to Tim for one reason or another. Dick wasn’t going to pull his baby brother away from the positive attention, though that one socialite was getting pretty handsy. Maybe Dick should -
It’s a smooth move; Tim peels her hands off his elbow and fills it with Tim’s wine glass. The woman coyly takes a sip, flutter her lashes, and Tim gives her a polite smile in return before turning to the older gentleman on his side.
Dick has seen Bruce do similar over the years.
Suddenly, it clicks. It’s not Tim movement through the exhibit that’s odd. It’s the people around him. Tim’s still young, he shouldn’t even have that wine glass, but who is going to tell Timothy Drake-Wayne no? Dick has seen his brother as a teen circle rooms, being polite. He’s seen him a handful of times operating as CEO, sharp smiles and sharper wit, steering conversations to his direction. But this isn’t just businessmen or old acquaintances he knows through his parents. He’s surrounded by everyone from young women to journalists to Gotham’s richest to waitstaff hoping it’s their tray Tim takes from.
Gotham is flocking to Tim like they do Bruce, and Tim, while Dick hasn’t been watching, has developed his own form of Brucie.
It’s subtle. He’s been in this crowd since he was ten, they know him before he developed a public mask. But Tim did go on a ‘grand tour’ as he told Vicky Vale. He took a break. He was gone long enough, at a young enough age, people expected some change, some sort of maturity.
Dick watches his brother. Tim is different after his solo adventures, but he hadn’t expected anyone other than the family to pick up on it. He hadn’t expected Tim to build a new mask instead of keeping his old one.
If it’s even a mask. Tim has left Dick alone for almost an hour now, and there’s none of the subtle strain Dick sometimes reads in Bruce when the man acts against the way he wants.
Part of Dick wants to be proud of his little brother growing up, but he’s not sure that’s what this is. This isn’t Tim gaining maturity, or following a dream. He isn’t pouring on extra charisma, and the variety of people around him means Dick can’t blame this change on Tim growing into his body, becoming attractive and eligible at newly 19.
The wine in his mouth is vinegar. Dick turns to read the plaque near him for the third time. Something’s changed, that’s obvious, and the detective in him wants to know exactly what has shifted.
“Hey.” Tim appears at his shoulder. “Sorry. I really didn’t mean to get wrapped in all that. Or for so long.”
He’s sheepish, a faint blush of embarrassment on his cheeks. Dick wants to ruffle his little brother’s hair and say all is forgiven, but Dick can’t bring himself to show such physical affection in front of so many people. It feels wrong to treat Tim like a kid. To imagine the young man at the center of so much attention getting a noogie.
Instead, Dick smiles. “It’s okay.”
“Yeah, but I wanted to see the exhibit with you and I’m pretty sure you’ve already seen everything by now.”
“Hey,” Dick brushes their shoulders. “The night’s still young. I can still see everything with you. I’ve just had more think time to tell you what I feel about a few pieces.”
“I’m still sorry.”
“Don’t be. You got ambushed. Come on, I’ll show you my favorite.”
It’s not quite the brotherly night Dick wants, there’s still so many people who want Tim’s attention, but Tim kindly steers the conversations into dead ends and reengages with Dick. It’s nice, being prioritized. Knowing Tim truly wants to spend this time with him, start to move back to the close brotherhood they had back when Tim was the baby. They’ll never get there again, Dick thinks. Tim’s too old and nostalgia makes everything brighter, but it’s nice to know that no matter how Gotham may treat Tim differently, there’s a sameness to their interactions.
They’re brothers, and Dick will hang out with Tim, for hours in the Manor or seconds between conversations, as much as he can.
