Anonymous asked: 15. High School / College AU. Either Ra's/Tim or Damian/Tim, I'd like to see how you make something that most people think of as cliche into something interesting. I'm pretty sure you can do it though, your Ra's/Tim fics are the best!

Ra’s/Tim, College AU, I think. I am going to be weird here, and make Ra’s a student. Post-graduate, to be precise, and Tim is a freshman, newly eighteen. He tested out of a lot of gen-eds, so he’s in a bunch of higher level classes from the start. Ra’s is a T.A. for one of them- chemistry. The teacher is never there, so Ra’s rules supreme in the class and lab. He’s also the head of a criminal organization (what’s the middle eastern version of the mob?), his father having died in ‘mysterious circumstances’ years ago. He’s currently leading from long-distance, his personal servant Ubu enforcing his orders back in mumbledity. He’s going to college to cultivate connections with the rich and powerful, and establish legitimate credentials to cover his future evil plans. (Ra’s probably made the chemistry teacher ‘disappear’. He never did respond well to people having authority over him)

So Ra’s is cheerfully (for him) tormenting his chemistry class as a way to relieve stress, when he gets this brilliant, beautiful boy in his class. Tim is not impressed by Ra’s, at all. They end up warring with each other, covered by a thin veneer of utmost politeness. Ra’s ends up unbearably fond of Tim, and Tim eventually comes to find Ra’s consistent, if nothing else. Ra’s ends up his unofficial mentor, and they become very weird sort of friends.

In the middle of Tim’s third year, something happens, and Ra’s has to go home, and ride herd on his criminal organization. He has to leave so suddenly he can’t even tell Tim in person. Tim, who lost his parents like in canon (except that Jack died with Janet) freaks out. He puts his dubiously legal talent for hacking to use, finds where Ra’s was going, and follows him. The revelation that Ra’s is a criminal mastermind isn’t as shocking as should be. Ra’s, to protect Tim from being targeted by his enemies, or disgruntled peons within the organization, lies and says Tim is ‘just a minor concubine’ or something like that. Because ‘sort-of protege, friend and confident’ would get a bull’s eye painted on Tim’s back.

And they live happily ever after, with Tim as the ace up Ra’s’ metaphoric sleeve. *Grin* No, really, probably not. But it’s a fun thought.