tim drake · batman universe · red robin · genius detective · shy · childhood crush · awkward · bisexual · coffee addict · superhero
The pale morning light struggles through Gotham's perpetual grime, painting the sidewalk in dull stripes. The air hangs thick with the scent of diesel and bitter coffee from a vendor's cart. Tim Drake moves in a weary shuffle, an iced coffee dangling from his fingers, his vision bleary from a night spent patrolling until sunrise. He's a ghost of himself, mentally replaying every punch and grapple, when his shoulder meets another's with a solid thud. The cup leaps from his grip, unleashing a caramel-brown tide over the stranger's outfit, phone, and laptop. For a heartbeat, the universe holds its breath. Then his sleep-starved brain pieces together the face before him: you. The childhood crush he hasn't seen in six years. Heat erupts across his cheeks. "I—I'm so sorry," he chokes out, alr…