w-allman: I adore Tim and Cassie, as characters and a brotp. I can't say I'm a crazy shipper, but, this idea came into my head. I decided it was cute and thought why not. I need something to move my mind away from...Wally.
Enjoy this for what it is (which isn't much). Thoughts/criticism/whatever are welcome.
What I Love About Cassie Sandsmark
by w-allman
I didn't tell Dick that Cassie makes my heart twist and my cheeks go red; he figured it out on his own. Then again, I don't see myself as a closed book, so he doesn't deserve a ton of credit. I'll never, ever admit it, but I'm glad he knows. I'd never go to him for advice willingly, but, it's no secret that Dick's good with girls. I mean, Zatanna, Babs and Raquel? He knows what he's talking about, definitely more than Gar, at least.
But, this job makes it hard to look at someone and imagine letting your world revolve around them. They could be here one day and gone the next. Especially Cassie. She's so darn reckless. And it's not like dealing with The Reach and The Light is smooth sailing. Half the time, I look at her and her smile makes my heart skip a beat; other times, I wonder if it's the last time I'll see her. So no, I don't blame myself for not acting on my feelings for Cassie Sandsmark.
Dick argues that I'm being over dramatic. This and that about feeling the aster or whelmed - he butchers the English language so much I'm not always sure what he means. He thinks I should just sweep her off her feet and ask her out (that's not good advice, by the way).
Maybe I am stubborn, for reasons already stated, but I have to give Dick points for persistence. He's stuck me with this assignment. I guess he wants me to list all the things I like about Cassie - I'm great at making lists - and from there, I need to decide if it's worth taking the risk.
Spoiler alert: It's not. But anything to get Dick out of my hair.
So here goes nothing.
1. I love her smile. She doesn't know the meaning of a soft smile. Every grin is wide, practically ear to ear. Her teeth are so white and her lips are naturally just this amazing shade of pink. She doesn't need or want makeup, and I respect that. I always want to catch Cassie in a good mood; her smiles make me smile, even if mine aren't as bright and memorable as hers. Cassie's great for team morale; her smile is contagious. I'm glad I'm observant enough to catch her smiles.
2. Her eyes are beautiful. They're so blue, like the sky on a clear summer day. Sometimes, I'm afraid to look into them because she's so open and I'm so...closed. But, her eyes are warm and welcoming. I feel like I can tell her anything; someone's eyes say a lot about them and Cassie's eyes tell me that I trust her. It's a secret, but she knows who I am, and not just Tim, but Tim Drake-Wayne. Bruce would flip if he knew. But Cassie won't tell anyone. I trust her. And it's all in her eyes. I could stare at them all day...if that wasn't creepy, of course.
3. I admire her strength. Not having superpowers has never been a problem for me. But, watching her, I wonder if I could ever be on her level. She's so strong and yeah, I'm surrounded by a ton of strong girls every day. But, with Cassie, it's part of who she is. She doesn't just pack a punch on the field, but, she's willing to learn, to grow, take criticism. She wants to be a better person, all the time. That's real strength. Barbara and M'gann say Cassie has a lot to learn, but I don't think there's anyone on the team I'd rather fight alongside. Cassie's strong, in almost every way imaginable.
4. I love the sound of her laugh. Not to abuse a cliche, but it's music to my ears. Her laugh is so full of life, perfectly pitched and, I love it at any volume. Cassie never fakes her laughs; she laughs when she's happiest. It's an indicator that I've grown dependent on. If I can make Cassie laugh, or at least hear her laugh, at least once, I know I've done something right. I've been working hard, trying to discover her type of humor. Girls like funny guys...don't they?
5. I'm not sure if Cassie's courage belongs on this list. She's an amazing teammate and heroine; she really would risk her life to do the right thing. But, I'm human and, by extension, selfish. Sometimes, I sit in the Cave at the Manor, waiting to hear back from her because I'm scared to death I won't. Cassie's an idiot, an idiot that would step forward and sacrifice herself. And truthfully, that doesn't make her an idiot at all. Courage is a part of the contract; we're kids, but we all have to be ready to lay our lives down. I just pray the day never comes that Cassie has to lay down hers. She's the bravest girl I know and, some days, I guess I do love her bravery.
6. She jogs my memory. Everything about her is so real. She's raw, in the moment and she's exactly who she is. Cassie Sandsmark is the exact same person as Wondergirl. There's no act, no character, just Cassie. And we need more of that on this team. She reminds us that we're teenagers. She keeps us grounded. Sometimes, I admit I forget that Tim is behind Robin's mask. But she snaps me right out of that. I don't want to be Batman or Nightwing, or Robin forever. I want to be Tim. And Cassie keeps me from losing that.
7. I feel guilty dedicating just one spot to Cassie's personality. She has the strongest personality I know and it's extremely lovable. She's never dull or boring; she's always excited and energetic and keeps us awake and on our toes. Cassie knows how to perk me up, she doesn't tolerate sad faces. She's been on the team for a while now she still fangirls when she sees Wonder Woman in action. Cassie's just a girl, a girl full of so much life. Not once have I been bored around her. she really livens up a stick in the mud like me.
8. She's a peacemaker. Believe it or not, we all don't always get along. Cassie doesn't stand for that. She'll step in the middle of a conflict, even when it's not her business; she helps people work things out. Because team unity is important here and Cassie's responsible for a lot of it. She likes planning move nights and slumber parties and everything like that. Cassie hates seeing us fight or struggling, and it's so selfless of her to get involved. Maybe some people find it annoying, but I find it honorable. She cares so much for all of us; how can you not love that about her?
9. She's smart. Cassie doesn't get enough credit for how smart she is; she's much more than just one of the muscles on our team. Cassie's been in tight spots before, and her mind has gotten her out of all of them. She's really good at chess and I've caught her reading a few old books before. The blonde stereotype is 100% ineffective. This job takes a lot of quick thinking, strategy and improvisation; I think, the fact that Cassie's still alive speaks for itself. Someday, she'll be able to lead the team; I know it.
10. She's my friend. Growing up, I didn't have a lot of people to surround myself with. Dick and Barbara are probably two of my first real friends. I was so hesitant about joining the team; all these new strangers with superpowers, some of which have known each other for five years? I was scared to death. But, when Cassie joined up, we clicked. She's so full of life and I'm so reserved; Gar and Jaime don't get how Cassie and I are friends. But, she means a lot to me. She's an amazing partner, she's so much fun to spend downtime with. I trust her, she trusts me, which just mold well together. Darn it, I think I might love her?
...Uh, that had the opposite effect than what I desired. The point of the list was to single out Cassie's best qualities, yet, despite them, convince me that the stakes are too high, life's too dangerous. I shouldn't be thinking about Cassie, I should be thinking about saving the world.
Dick's full of it. I withdraw any previous statement suggesting that Dick Grayson gives good advice. Because, good advice would help my situation and present me with the best solution. And that did just the opposite.
I knew I liked Cassie Sandsmark. She makes me feel weirder than any girl has ever made me feel. And now, I feel like I need to ask her. But then, no unnecessary risks to the team, right? I can't decide if this risk is necessary or not.
And I just realized I'm back at square one.
Fantastic.
w-allman: Eh, not entirely sure how I feel about this one. I love Tim. And I love Cassie. So I tried my best to capture Tim's personality and how, and why, he feels for Cassie. It was sweet, because Tim's a sweetheart. Let me know if you loved it, hated it or whatever is in between.