They had a great dinner. Tim had to admit it.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡugRTsrBNFj
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaO3uFiYsKb
Tim mentioned his current work assisting corporate transformation, green energy development, and financial strategies.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8cFtcZbqtE
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGZfVzZGv2W
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSxWZAICxwC
He quietly noted every case number and keyword she mentioned.
Nora’s eyes shimmered in the candlelight dancing across the table.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ62tltuqR17
Tim wasn’t sure if it was the effect of the red wine,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBdC2SJRF6v
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnFp08sEeTm
His entire face flattened against it, bright blue eyes wide with excitement as he stared inside.
Tim’s heart clenched—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwM4O2Pwmcd
Then his gaze shifted just a bit further.
Standing next to the child was a face far too familiar—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡIGbh5H4ESn
One he had hoped not to see.
Bruce Wayne.
Looking into the restaurant with a disapproving expression,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFPKxWiiAB
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.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡlZ1QIphZrD
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYNMDReJJ9h
Tim stepped out of Finn’s room, gently closing the door behind him.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG5izqTCHWk
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRPf4PTjF9q
But the kid had eyes like a bat.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNw6uwpzEYw
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRZzu5wn4QC
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRxwhQR97wS
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkaWQZnYA41
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡilUzGSrD9I
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCmSBETCJrS
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVcA6Teww05
This night had only just begun.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYBdeNynShA
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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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqQRL3sjMI1
“Today, Nora and I were talking about a very important children’s public welfare project.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxScIAWpf7O
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1ZUEEK3SCH
His small hands still clutched that dinosaur plushie—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTNJMKFixea
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6WIfX3s6Yd
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ20lvGJc3Bl
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡewcm6w6o2h
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5Ry9xjmKzu
“Tim, I need an explanation.”
Batman’s voice hit him like cold water.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9pD14acr43
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡV95Z3HtkNY
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpRDBtMOA1h
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6v0X2LbuER
Inside were screenshots of posts, comment threads, and repost logs.
“She turned out to be Nightnest,” Tim said, turning toward Bruce.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3X4rvntGDb
“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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLED7YiL9d8
He’d known for years how people spun wild stories, imagined all kinds of relationships—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqJxcOkStuV
Bruce and the mayor? Bruce and Superman? Bruce and the Joker?140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡipZ28OmDvx
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiacwKG9s2F
And fantasy, after all, wasn’t a crime.
Batman couldn’t, and shouldn’t, stop people from imagining.
But this…140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7BfVOgm43m
This wasn’t just fantasy anymore.
This fantasy had a name.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwW7jfipgMi
A face.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0dbAC7qnCJ
It was now Finn’s teacher.
Tim shifted slightly, standing before the monitor, arms at his sides.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBXtf70sU8C
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtp4njYfCJD
“I wanted to confirm whether she had access to too much intel about the vigilantes.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTN2Z3InQTL
Whether she posed a risk.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzOwRvhLhkr
That’s why I decided to ask her out—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡZhU4CKB4y3
strictly part of the investigation.”
He said it steadily.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡknnSWgjyS1
Didn’t even flinch.
But the truth was—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo88y1Cnk34
yes, he’d brought surveillance gear;140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡupT4KgNBW1
yes, he’d tried to profile her through interaction;140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuCLjFVRJ3D
and yes… during all those observations and conversations…
something not part of the mission140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡEMsWNCn6sQ
had caught his attention.
So he crossed his fingers.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzDcjj4YCuM
It wasn’t lying.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdJ85Ojd6Zc
Just… omitting certain details.
He didn’t mention the shooting range.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvOjE2fkwxT
Or the red wine.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfHSSKA4fVx
Or the candlelight.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡeX6k8m04Hq
He didn’t mention the way she knelt down that day to draw stars for the kids.
Tim thought to himself—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr691AlONEW
Nora should be thankful.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡh8TenrkPRs
If Bruce had found out her identity from the start,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡHPxZRcZYIx
or if one of the other Bat-family members had gotten suspicious,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs6VvwolZHd
the outcome might’ve been far uglier.
Batman stayed silent for a moment.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnesIz8f1ah
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.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcLj6Xm7lEI
“Her identity… for now, doesn’t appear to be a threat.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡy0qiqCPaTV
But this stays between us. No one else can know.”
Tim nodded, exhaling quietly.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtFhmLLk4ZT
He’d pulled off a tightrope act, balancing on the edge of a storm.
But he also knew—140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS6JamG0SSb
if even one step in this undercover investigation went wrong,140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7RnCUc9odE
that woman who filled pages with fantasy140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDAphFf3J6E
would no longer be the subject of a romantic subplot—
She’d become someone Batman watched personally.140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1rwYgLZIyc
And that’s no love story.
140Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvmObID98Aw
and then Add to home screen.