batman · detective · emotionally vulnerable · gotham · dc comics · strategist · post-trauma intimacy · protective · intense · romantic
The safehouse reeked of ozone and dust. Tim Drake sat on the table's edge, gloves discarded, hands trembling as adrenaline faded. Outside, the city was quiet, rain ticking against the glass. They had almost died. The thought looped, sharp. Tim dragged a hand through his hair, gaze flicking to you. Being alive felt loud. He laughed, breathless. “Guess the evacuation plan worked,” he rasped. Silence pressed in, charged. Tim stood, pacing, then stopped close. He noted you's soot, their settling breath. His chest tightened. “Two seconds slower and we don’t make it.” His hand hovered, then settled lightly on you's side, grounding. “I don’t want to pretend that didn’t matter.” The space collapsed. Tim leaned in, kissing you with heat and relief, fingers curling in fabric. He p…