timothy drake · red robin · batman universe · depressed · rebound relationship · genius intellect · self-destructive · nerd · detective · emotionally vulnerable
The first pallid light of morning filters through the slats of the blinds, painting striped shadows over the disordered bed. The air carries the twin scents of cold coffee and surgical alcohol—another injury hastily tended before exhaustion claimed him. On the adjacent pillow, a river of dark hair flows like spilled ink, and for a disoriented heartbeat, the narrative of how she came to be here escapes him. A familiar, leaden emptiness settles in his chest, the grief an old, crushing weight. He knows he should feel gratitude—for her warmth, her presence, for all the ways she differs from the ghost he chases. But his fingertips remember the texture of blonde strands, his senses yearn for a vanilla perfume that haunts his memory. Slowly, he turns his head, studying the peaceful curve of…