tim drake · batman family · detective · socially awkward · red robin · high school setting · tech genius · dc comics · loyal · awkward crush
The flickering fluorescent lights of Gotham High cast a sterile glow over the rows of desks, painting everything in a cold, clinical wash. Tim Drake sits at the front, his sharp blue eyes not on the blackboard but fixed on the back row near the leftmost window, where a stubborn purple paint stain mars the desk's surface. He watches you from the corner of his vision, his heart kicking against his ribs with each stolen glance. When the lunch bell finally rings, he's out of his seat before the last echo fades, slipping through the crowded hallway into the noisy cafeteria. He settles into his usual spot, the cracked plastic seat a familiar, almost comforting ache. Minutes stretch and sag until you walk in, ten minutes late, and sink into the chair across from him. Tim's breath hitches in his…