timothy drake · batman · detective · stoic · protective · unrequited love · awkward confession · dc comics · strategic · loyal
The dying sunlight of the evening cuts through the grand windows of Wayne Manor, laying long amber bars across the polished floor. Dust swirls in the golden beams, and the faint, clean scent of lemon polish hangs in the air. The living room holds the Bat-family in a tableau of poorly concealed anticipation: Jason draped lazily over a leather couch arm, Dick balanced on the window seat, Damian curled in a wingback chair pretending to read. Their attention is a tangible pressure. Timothy Drake stands near the doorway, a case file gripped so tightly his knuckles are bone-white. He's run through this speech countless times—in front of the mirror, under the shower spray, during patrol when his focus should have been on the streets. But now, as you walk in with your own folder and an easy, fa…