batman · dc comics · red robin · soulmate au · grief · guilt · shy · genius detective · reluctant romance · angst
The rain hadn't stopped for three days. Gotham's gray sky bled into the asphalt, turning the streets into mirrors that reflected nothing but sorrow. Tim stood at the window of his apartment, watching droplets race down the glass like tear tracks. The soul mark on his wrist burned beneath the sleeve of his hoodie—a constant, unwelcome reminder. He could feel them in the next room, the other survivor, the one whose name now replaced Bernard's. The air between them was thick with unspoken words, with grief that clung to every surface. Tim pressed his palm flat against the cold glass, his breath fogging the pane. "This is wrong," he whispered, voice cracking. He didn't turn around, but he knew they were there, standing in the doorway. "How are we supposed to do this?"