They had a great dinner. Tim had to admit it.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrws0aPRTsR
That kind of time—without reconnaissance, without surveillance, and definitely without pressure testing—actually made him feel… relaxed?
They talked about many things that had nothing to do with Gotham.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxZIUaSWCmI
Tim mentioned his current work assisting corporate transformation, green energy development, and financial strategies.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNmFTRCAZa9
Nora responded with thoughts on budget allocation in education, and how recent childcare legislation updates were impacting frontline teachers.
The conversation branched into child safety and social cases—especially a few child abuse incidents that had come to light in recent years.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs66GS2vEwc
Tim hadn’t previously been deeply involved in these topics, but Nora’s insights were precise, calm, and sharply articulated—without emotional blackmail.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG637IUGM84
He quietly noted every case number and keyword she mentioned.
Nora’s eyes shimmered in the candlelight dancing across the table.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ07Xf0jXndq
Tim wasn’t sure if it was the effect of the red wine,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYTRY8CoMPW
or the way she spoke—so gentle, yet uncompromising—that left him a little dazed.
Until Nora suddenly paused, her gaze shifting to the floor-to-ceiling window, a momentary stillness washing over her.
“What’s wrong?” Tim turned—
A little face was squished up against the glass.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ47DriYwzHg
His entire face flattened against it, bright blue eyes wide with excitement as he stared inside.
Tim’s heart clenched—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3SppmDcQj
Then his gaze shifted just a bit further.
Standing next to the child was a face far too familiar—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡymC1C652NO
One he had hoped not to see.
Bruce Wayne.
Looking into the restaurant with a disapproving expression,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡd1KDUrQ84X
like he’d just stepped off the front page of the Gotham Times.
Tim suddenly felt like the utensils in his hands had doubled in weight.
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140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYgBn1ce9sy
Tim stepped out of Finn’s room, gently closing the door behind him.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5oNJFQIHkA
He exhaled and leaned against the hallway wall, closing his eyes briefly as he replayed the absurd sequence of events in his head.
He’d thought dinner would be about gathering intel—maybe even an in-depth probing conversation.
Instead—
“Got caught red-handed by my own nephew,” he muttered under his breath.
Dim lighting, two layers of glass—Tim had thought it was absolutely secure.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2HlZ2k90i1
But the kid had eyes like a bat.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLgWffShsdA
He’d spotted Nora in a second, and then, like a bullet, burst into the restaurant.
Nora had smiled naturally, without a hint of awkwardness.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFkyblN4UVi
She’d crouched down to talk to Finn, gently patting his messy hair.
Tim had stood beside them, eyes inevitably falling on Bruce.
That look.
Bruce hadn’t said a word,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ283B3oUIWf
but the “you better explain this later” expression weighed heavier than a hundred pages of briefing notes.
Tim could almost hear Bruce’s brain opening up cross-referenced files, auditing the risk logs for the event labeled Timothy Drake and Kindergarten Teacher Nora.
“Finn, this is my grandpa!” the kid said gleefully, as if showing off his favorite armored tank.
Bruce seamlessly switched into CEO mode, giving a perfectly polished smile.
Nora had calmly spoken a few standard lines about how well Finn behaved at school.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡhFZLSumhSO
Tim took the opportunity to interject, “It’s getting late—I’ll give the lady a ride home.”
Bruce shot him a look.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH4HfJpMrCZ
A look packed with a hundred unspoken messages.
Tim didn’t want to translate it.
Finn had begged to come along, insisting “If teacher’s in the car, I want to be too!”140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNoOb1OWSEr
In the end, Bruce went home alone, and Tim scored some alone time.
Thinking of Bruce’s expression, Tim chuckled silently.
“I have a lot of explaining to do,” he murmured.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqPYli2BcOr
This night had only just begun.
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Back home, Tim tried to spin a story for Finn.
He knelt by the bed, his tone sincere as he tucked the boy’s scattered blanket back into place.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyfgOOVcoYt
“Today, Nora and I were talking about a very important children’s public welfare project.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmK8xFnowP3
It’s something that helps kids grow up safer and happier. You understand, right? It’s important for kids.”
Finn tilted his head and thought for a second, then nodded.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ezofgktoH
His small hands still clutched that dinosaur plushie—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbIVG2qu6N6
as if it helped him judge whether the world was still safe.
“So… you guys weren’t on a date?”
Tim gave a tight smile, one that looked like it was holding up a house of cards.
“No, we were talking about serious stuff. Really.”
Finn nodded in satisfaction, buying the story.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3SncWkjo2l
Tim looked at his face and suddenly felt like a terrible adult.
Once Finn’s breathing settled and his eyes closed, Tim gently slipped out of the room.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDEHN6qYvgz
He took a deep breath, straightened his collar, walked down the hall, descended the stairs, passed through the study—
and entered the Batcave.
The lighting there was low, and the rhythmic hum of machines pulsed like a slow, steady drumbeat.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡf3jAITVMLj
Batman stood with his back to him, flipping through a report.
As soon as Tim stepped inside, that low voice rang out:140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcvbNiMUhLx
“Tim, I need an explanation.”
Batman’s voice hit him like cold water.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKsJLZNlyaE
Tim sighed silently and stepped up to the computer, unlocking his most tightly guarded investigation file.
The screen’s blue glow lit his face—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtRrGnD5qrF
and reflected off the Batman’s unmoving cowl.
“I just felt something was off about Nora,” Tim began, his tone steady as always.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡw90kZrFld2
“So I checked her computer. Nothing deep—just public records, cloud links… stuff she didn’t really protect.”
He clicked open a folder, labeled plainly: Nightnest.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrikct5Hhe
Inside were screenshots of posts, comment threads, and repost logs.
“She turned out to be Nightnest,” Tim said, turning toward Bruce.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsskS6Njh6a
“The famous Gotham fanfic writer. The one who writes about… you.”
Batman had his arms crossed, listening intently.
But at that line, his brow twitched, and his expression shifted.
Tim watched Bruce’s face closely and instantly regretted bringing it up so soon.
Bruce Wayne was well aware of Gotham’s... enthusiastic online fandom.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr9VNpIOD3i
He’d known for years how people spun wild stories, imagined all kinds of relationships—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMFxybiC01p
Bruce and the mayor? Bruce and Superman? Bruce and the Joker?140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0ErGtyw62X
Even Bruce and his own split personality.
There was nothing people wouldn’t dream up.
But those had always been fantasies—fictional, absurd, harmless.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxu2WCyIAD
And fantasy, after all, wasn’t a crime.
Batman couldn’t, and shouldn’t, stop people from imagining.
But this…140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡah1eUysmuE
This wasn’t just fantasy anymore.
This fantasy had a name.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDZV1afEFQS
A face.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9EF5oOocoR
It was now Finn’s teacher.
Tim shifted slightly, standing before the monitor, arms at his sides.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5lg9JxfP0E
His fingers crossed silently behind his back—like a private buffer against judgment.
“That’s why,” he said, looking at the screen, tone cool and composed,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZxwe1w4OEr
“I wanted to confirm whether she had access to too much intel about the vigilantes.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ49vgaIRl07
Whether she posed a risk.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3EmnD65uVm
That’s why I decided to ask her out—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡonGmEypc13
strictly part of the investigation.”
He said it steadily.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmSCvlXxfR
Didn’t even flinch.
But the truth was—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiqxEnGoUDD
yes, he’d brought surveillance gear;140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVTCU1IEFu1
yes, he’d tried to profile her through interaction;140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡMVPO7WqnjT
and yes… during all those observations and conversations…
something not part of the mission140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFdKMYzfH7H
had caught his attention.
So he crossed his fingers.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjutzraPM2A
It wasn’t lying.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXuvtbrIkqP
Just… omitting certain details.
He didn’t mention the shooting range.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRt54FawAD3
Or the red wine.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlIsvCVtvcA
Or the candlelight.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmEWSxrn645
He didn’t mention the way she knelt down that day to draw stars for the kids.
Tim thought to himself—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡgJrCFzpacQ
Nora should be thankful.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy8WauzenKS
If Bruce had found out her identity from the start,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2ggI7vKni2
or if one of the other Bat-family members had gotten suspicious,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡyYXCJgsSzP
the outcome might’ve been far uglier.
Batman stayed silent for a moment.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdh9lLhXDXA
His gaze sharp, like it could carve deeper truths into Tim’s face.
But in the end, he simply gave a slow nod.
“What you did was reasonable,” Batman said in a low voice.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx5xXQ5k3TR
“Her identity… for now, doesn’t appear to be a threat.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7vSjywwDhi
But this stays between us. No one else can know.”
Tim nodded, exhaling quietly.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUIwCnBxCyU
He’d pulled off a tightrope act, balancing on the edge of a storm.
But he also knew—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡie6sxusALS
if even one step in this undercover investigation went wrong,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡR7pwWcwofa
that woman who filled pages with fantasy140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpvlUXdNa7U
would no longer be the subject of a romantic subplot—
She’d become someone Batman watched personally.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6Erv7jgMLv
And that’s no love story.
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and then Add to home screen.