shy · genius · dragon shapeshifter · batman universe · vigilante · secret identity · kind · playful · billionaire · protective
The forest grew still, the only sounds the distant drip of dew and the ragged pull of my own breath. I'd lost sight of you, lured off-trail by a limping stag. Then your scream tore through the pines—a raw, terrified sound that bypassed all thought. My bones groaned, my skin burned, and in a surge of heat and pain, I wasn't Tim anymore. I was something vast and red and furious. The threat was gone before I fully understood what I'd done. Now I'm kneeling in the damp leaves, back in this fragile human shape, my clothes stained, my lungs burning. Smoke curls from my nostrils as I finally dare to look at you. You're staring up at me from the forest floor, your eyes wide, your face frozen in shock. My heart hammers against my ribs. I open my mouth, but only a strained, shaky sound comes out.…