A/N: Hey, guys! This chapter might be kind of late, but hey, I live in France, and, well, IGCSEs kinda tend to take away time from writing… Oh well

Here's my take on Tim and Cassie's first kiss. This ended up being something completely different from what I'd intended it to be, just FYI. Funny how that happens, isn't it?

Life's Too Short

Cassie'd been taught since she was little by her mother that the right thing to do was to always work hard at school, because then she'd have a good career, maybe be an archeologist like Helena, and a good life. Later, by Diana, she was taught that the right thing to do was to always protect her sisters, that all men at some points in their lives were complete idiots, and that the main reason for their existence was to take care of them.

"Doesn't that sort of go against Amazon rules?" Cassie had asked her mentor, as the two took a break from training, wincing at the many bruises which had started to form all over. The young Wonder Girl knew she was getting better. She hadn't beat her mentor yet, but they'd come very close to it being a draw. Diana's heavy breathing was also a telltale sign that Cassie was giving her a workout. "I mean, we're strong enough to take care of ourselves, why do men need to do that for us?"

She could see a flash of pride in the princess's eyes at her words. It made Cassie feel all gooey and soft inside. So sue her, Diana was her idol. She was allowed to be happy at praise – verbal or unspoken.

"We don't," Diana had answered softly, a small smile playing on the corners of her lips, "We are strong warriors, little sister. This is why there are no men on Themyscara. However, in man's world, women have allowed themselves to stray and be made feeble to men. Some fall to their knees at a 'King's' mere whim" – she said the word like it were a curse – "while those girls at your school are willing to risk entire friendships because of a look a boy supposedly gave to one of them. It's pathetic."

Cassie chewed the inside of her cheek, contemplating this. It was true. Mandy and Gina had gotten into a fight over Robert Prescott, and now they hadn't spoken for almost a week. Silently, the young Amazon promised herself she would never get into a fight over a guy with Cissie. Diana's sigh brought her back to the real world. She frowned slightly as Wonder Woman scooted towards her on the bench and grasped the young girl's hands in her comparatively large ones.

"Promise me you won't become like that," she said firmly. This sounded suspiciously like the beginning of a speech Mom had given her a few months prior – what most parents would refer to as 'the talk'. "That you won't turn out like those spoiled, silly little brats who would do anything for a male. You're better than that, Cassandra. By birthright you are a goddess, but that does not mean you can't make mistakes regarding the opposite gender."

"Are you saying I can't have a boyfriend?" Cassie frowned, although, with the look that Diana was giving her, she was ready to promise that, even if it meant getting teased by Mandy for the rest of her school days. "Like, ever?"

"No, I'm saying that you need to be patient," Diana said firmly, "The 'right guy'" – Cassie was seriously getting tired of the quotation marks at this point. Not all men were imbeciles. I mean, look at Batman and Superman! – "isn't just around the corner."

"Well, obviously," Cassie grinned. She wasn't used to these moments with Diana. Her mother, sure, but with her she just needed to sit there and listen for twenty minutes until Helena got a call from the museum and Cassie was free to finish her homework. With Diana, there was no impending call, no emergency, no escape. So that left her with very little options of what to say. "We're on Themyscrara."

Diana rolled her eyes at her protégée's joke, letting the 14-year-old girl tug her hands free and gesture around the massive sand-covered training area sealed off for the sole purpose of teaching her. The princess was reassured that she had nothing to worry about. Cassie was smart, no matter how much of a fangirl she acted like most of the time. Not only did her grades speak for themselves, she was a quick learner of Amazonian fighting techniques as well. Diana was still grinning as they each picked up one of two swords, which lay side by side on another bench, and got into the stances.

It wasn't until later that they both realized that Cassie had never actually promised anything.

When Wally died, it was tragic, to say the least. The whole team could feel the loss, not just those who had been closest to him. Cassie sat down on the edge of the woods , head resting back against a tree, frowning as she looked out over the horizon. He was dead, just… gone. One minute he was there, and the next, he wasn't. Like he'd never even been there at all.

It was at that moment Cassie realized they'd been wrong – Helena and Diana had both been wrong. Wally had done an incredibly unselfish thing. He wasn't like the monsters Diana had described who took advantage of women. He was brave, and that bravery had cost him his life. It wasn't homework that was the most important thing, or keeping your sisters safe from a threat that wasn't even there half the time. Life was short. The right thing to do was to live it, to enjoy it while it lasted, before it was too late.

Wonder Girl felt a change in the atmosphere beside her – someone was approaching. She didn't need to look to know it was Tim. His cape made a soft whooshing sound in the wind. The boots crunched against the grass. He was being loud on purpose, she knew. He didn't want to startle her.

Over the past few weeks, they'd developed a bond of sorts. They fought together, and, if there was ever the option of picking his own team members for a mission, Tim would always choose Cassie. They worked well together, and sometimes even talked. Cassie had even once joked that if he got tired of all the teen supermodel wanna-be's who for some reason thought getting in good with Tim Drake would mean they'd have modeling contracts pouring in, she'd be more than happy to attend Bruce Wayne's galas with him. It was an easy friendship, one which had slowly been building up to becoming something more.

Problem was, Cassie was done waiting.

Robin settled on the grass beside her, and didn't say a word. Whether it was intuition that made him come here, some sixth sense that let him know there was something Cassie needed to say, something she needed to do, or just the desire to know if his teammate was okay, she was grateful he kept quiet. Because there was something she needed to say to him, and she needed to do it without interruption.

"My mom always used to tell me the most important thing in the world was working hard," she started, looking out over the waters, her back turned to her teammate. He didn't have super-hearing, but the wind was soft. Eurus seemed to be watching over her tonight. Cassie vaguely mused over what that may have meant. Aqualad was back on their side. Perhaps Poseidon doubted his allegiance. Then again, the Gods hardly ever took interest in her. Ares was the only one who seemed to really bother trying to get her attention, and that was more than enough. With a shake of her head, Cassie brought herself back to the present and forced herself to turn back to look at Tim.

"Wally worked hard, and look where that got him. He died, saving the world, even after he and Artemis were supposed to have retired. But, in the end, he was happy, don't you think? I mean, he died for a cause he believed in. He had a loving family, he had Artemis, he'd done everything he'd wanted to do. Life is short. We need to live it. Wally knew that, don't you agree?"

The lenses of the mask were down so Cassie could see his eyes. They were a deep cerulean blue that was so beautiful it was breathtaking. His gaze was intent on her eyes, gouging her reaction as, unknowingly, the two leaned towards each other. Hers strayed to his mouth, and he found himself doing the same. The Boy Wonder waited until their mouths were just a breath apart before answering her.

"Yes," he whispered, using every ounce of self-control he had not to reach out and grab the young girl's arm to keep her there, to make sure she wouldn't leave, when he felt her tense up. She was ready to pull away, for some reason taking his answering her at all as some indication that he didn't want this. But he wasn't done yet. "And I think we'd be honoring his memory if we did the same."

Cassie's azure gaze flew back up to her teammate's in something akin to surprise, before her lips crashed down against his. Tim's eyes widened before his hands rested on her hips as if of their own accord. Her lips parted above him as she settled so that she was almost straddling him. Her hands tangled in his soft hair, pulling lightly on the ebony strands. The kiss was hot, desperate, deep – everything you'd expect a kiss between two people who just realized they might die at any moment to be like. Cassie was almost forceful, but he didn't mind, giving back as good as he got. She needed this. For some reason – Diana, her mother, her father, the Amazons, training, Wally's death, the mission's success – she needed this closeness. One hand trailed down his chest, fingers trying to find purchase in red fabric. He responded by tangling one gloved hand in her hair, keeping the other on the small of her back, keeping her there, making sure she wouldn't leave. Too many people in his life had a bad habit of leaving. His mother and father, Jason, and now Wally. Cassie was staying. Her hand in his hair tightened as if to reassure him of this fact.

It was over far too soon, as most good things are, but they needed to breathe, no matter if they liked it or not. Cassie was poised on Tim's lap, straddling him, one hand fisted on his chest, the other raking haphazardly through her hair, trying to smooth it out of the mess Tim had tangled it into. He had no idea how he must look, but the young Robin could just feel the dumbfounded expression on his face.

"Wow," he breathed, in between brief bouts of panting. Cassie rolled over onto her side and curled up next to him, her head resting against his shoulder. His arm automatically wrapped around her shoulders, tucking her close. The 14-year-old felt more than heard the young girl chuckle.

"That about covers it," she grinned. The two sat/lay there like that for a few seconds, neither one saying a word, each lost in their own thoughts.

"So, was that just a one-time thing, or are we like Conner and Megan now?" Tim finally asked, because he felt like he had to. Dick had warned him about letting girls get to him. He was a Bat. He wasn't supposed to do that. Bruce had taught him that they weren't supposed to get involved with members of the team, that it would only cause trouble. But surely a half-human Amazonian demigoddess was an exception, right? Right?

"We'd have to break up first, in order to be like Conner and Megan," Cassie smiled against the red Kevlar as she felt gloved fingers draw aimless patterns on the skin of her shoulder. She wondered if Robin was even aware he was doing it. Oh well. It didn't matter. She would have been content to just lie there forever.

"You know what I mean," Tim told her. Wonder Girl could hear the frown on his face. His other hand reached up to his domino to do something that would shield his eyes with the white lenses again. Cassie resisted groaning at the act. She hated the masks. It was always so unfair how the Bats got to keep their thoughts secret while everyone else was, well, not exactly open, but Diana sure as hell didn't hide her feelings behind a mask. Rather than saying anything though, because it felt odd and out of place in this peaceful moment, she grinned up at him.

"Yes," she answered with a smile, "We are like Conner and Megan."

Tim relaxed back against the tree. "In that case, would you like to have dinner with me next Friday?" He spoke up to the leaves of the tree, unable to look down at the girl in his arms, never mind that she wasn't even looking at him.

"In Gotham?" Wonder Girl frowned, "Doesn't Batman have a 'No Metas' rule there?"

"Yes, but last time I checked, Cassie Sandsmark was a normal eighth grade student from New York, whose only extra-curricular activities include occasionally helping her mother out at the Met," Tim told her innocently, a grin playing on the corners of his mouth. "Not at all someone Batman should have trouble with accepting in his city."

"So I should leave the lasso at home?" Wonder Girl chuckled.

"If you don't mind," Tim smirked at the rustling leaves.

That Friday, Cassie had been called to the shooting range by Wonder Woman after school. Diana had said she wanted to practice shielding bullets with Cassie, and, like a good little sidekick, Cassie had agreed. When she noticed that it was nearing 7 o'clock, though, Cassie lowered her bracers, the signal that clearly meant stop. Diana frowned, but lowered the gun.

"Well, this was awesome," Cassie began, her voice going into that relatively high octave that meant she was gonna start rambling. She quickly made her way out from behind the counter where the shooters stood. The range had been thankfully empty tonight, and Batman had promised to erase the video footage evidence. "But I gotta go now. Homework and chores, and I've still gotta stop at the supermarket, and-"

BANG!

Clink!

The bullet thudded harmlessly against Cassie's bracer. The young girl looked more than a little shocked, not to mention terrified, that her mentor had taken the shot at her when she was unprepared. Diana, however, was completely relaxed, the hand not holding the gun poised on her hip. "Diana!"

"Not bad," the Amazon stated, nodding once firmly, "But you already did your chores this morning, and you did your homework in study period. Also, Helena went shopping yesterday. Why are you so determined to leave? A boy?"

Cassie pursed her lips. She and Cissie had spent all of yesterday afternoon, while Diana had been swamped with meetings, trying to pick out the perfect outfit for Cassie. Since she had no clue where Tim was taking her, that had proven to be a bit of a challenge. It would be such a shame if all their hard work were for nothing. Not to mention, how would Tim react if she didn't show up? How would it affect their working dynamic? If he thought she stood him up, he'd be seriously upset, and that wasn't something the team needed. Maybe she could give him an excuse.

Hey, Tim, sorry I couldn't make it, but Diana got kinda pissed off at me because I promised her I'd be careful when it comes to guys, and I kinda sorta might've forgotten to tell her about our date. Yeah, because that was gonna go over real well.

"I knew it," Diana sighed, setting the gun on the counter and pinching the bridge of her nose with her thumb and forefinger. "Alright, what's his name? Cassandra? Are you listening to me?"

Or maybe she could tell him she had to flee the country for the night because Ares was in town. Hey, Tim, sorry I couldn't be there, but I had to leave the country because Ares was after me. You know, my kinda psycho big brother who's like 50,000 years older than me? God of War? No, that wouldn't work. Gotham was a place not even the Gods dared go near. Tim knew this better than anyone, except for the Bat himself, probably. But maybe she could still-

"CASSANDRA!" Diana's voice reverberated through the small room, making Cassie jump.

"Sorry," she very nearly whispered. Diana had never looked so regal, or so royally pissed off. The Amazon hated being ignored. "I was just lost in thought…"

"I gathered," wonder Woman glared at the young demigoddess. "Now, tell me who it is you are going to meet, or I will take you back to Helena and you will be grounded and not allowed to date anyone at all until you are thirty. Is that clear?"

Cassie sighed. No way out. Just like she was used to when it came to Diana.

"It's Tim," she surrendered, steeling herself for the lecture on how all Bats were emotionally unstable, how for them the mission always came first, and had Cassie really thought this through, because if she hadn't now would be a really good time to start, since it would undoubtedly end in tears, not to mention, a lot of emotional trauma and inevitably a broken heart. Now, did Cassie want that? Did she?

"Tim," Diana tried the name and seemed to decide she didn't like the taste of it, "The sixth grader? Honestly, Cassandra, I wouldn't have taken you to get together with someone so young. Although, I suppose some might consider-"

"Ew! No!" Cassie frantically shook her hands and head in denial, "Tim as in Tim Drake. As in Robin? As in 'Robin the Boy Wonder'? As in 'Batman and Robin'?" She was very tempted to say the words 'Am I getting through to you?' as she had done to Cissie earlier this week. Cissie, who still couldn't believe Cassie had a date with the son of one of the world's richest men alive. Well, now that Diana knew that was probably cancelled, but still.

"Robin," Diana repeated the title, her eyes widening just a little bit before narrowing back into a frown. "In Gotham?"

"Yes," Cassie admitted begrudgingly, looking down at the floor now and starting to fidget.

"What time?"

"7:30, but there's a two hour time difference."

"Hmm," Cassie could see the gears in Diana's head turning, mulling over the idea, trying to understand and go through all the options. Finally, Diana gave a firm nod and lifted her gaze from where it had settled several feet behind Cassie on the radiator. "Well then, you better go get ready."

"What?" the young blonde couldn't believe her luck. She was getting off just like that? No punishment, no lecture? No way. She just didn't have that kind of luck. "I can go? No lecture on how he's a Bat and they're about as emotional as a jar of pickles? Just… I can go?"

"Yes, go," the raven-haired woman laughed, waving one graceful hand delicately in the air. Cassie beamed and rushed over to her, giving her a big hug, before running towards the door frantically. She was stopped one last time, though. "Cassandra?"

"Yes?" She knew. She just knew it. It was the pickle jar comment. Damn it, why did she have to say anything? Why couldn't she just go an d leave well enough alone, and-

"Has he kissed you yet?" Diana's pale blue eyes were smiling, genuinely pleased at the whole situation.

"No," Cassie said begrudgingly, "But I kissed him. After Wally died, right before you came back."

Wonder Woman smiled a sad smile before turning back to the gun. "Good. Now go, before you're late."

A/N: Hope you guys liked it! :D