They had a great dinner. Tim had to admit it.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGEe1WeFASu
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8Z8OFbf0Fs
Tim mentioned his current work assisting corporate transformation, green energy development, and financial strategies.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrudUzAzmzY
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡuFIIbYO1bX
Tim hadn’t previously been deeply involved in these topics, but Nora’s insights were precise, calm, and sharply articulated—without emotional blackmail.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBZ5MJCGmNo
He quietly noted every case number and keyword she mentioned.
Nora’s eyes shimmered in the candlelight dancing across the table.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2AGnC6d3qy
Tim wasn’t sure if it was the effect of the red wine,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpyTqj5Uj6C
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YAvRy2aKL
His entire face flattened against it, bright blue eyes wide with excitement as he stared inside.
Tim’s heart clenched—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfQdwVsorg1
Then his gaze shifted just a bit further.
Standing next to the child was a face far too familiar—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjPQPVDVAHp
One he had hoped not to see.
Bruce Wayne.
Looking into the restaurant with a disapproving expression,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡUxxGuuPTvf
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.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡD8dpf9uEnC
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGDsO8Z1WMj
Tim stepped out of Finn’s room, gently closing the door behind him.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdkMCklZsQ3
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡnrylZqRU4w
But the kid had eyes like a bat.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡrJ19psjscn
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPqMWDF8ALv
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,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡj36mBJ8ryB
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbpsINWjqLY
Tim took the opportunity to interject, “It’s getting late—I’ll give the lady a ride home.”
Bruce shot him a look.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡCTV0PDEGZ0
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!”17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡWY9oCSqqmg
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡB1glvhY1io
This night had only just begun.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOLfSbIwP0U
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH2UWy3MWWo
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡP9g7dYhvpp
“Today, Nora and I were talking about a very important children’s public welfare project.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡa9oZQTp2fN
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ7m4wK1s9mC
His small hands still clutched that dinosaur plushie—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtqSsN3sjJk
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdqth8S87mM
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioLo9QqFvS
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡq3eb8wFUXS
Batman stood with his back to him, flipping through a report.
As soon as Tim stepped inside, that low voice rang out:17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9cTIYp8r8a
“Tim, I need an explanation.”
Batman’s voice hit him like cold water.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡpe2kz4Dd6b
Tim sighed silently and stepped up to the computer, unlocking his most tightly guarded investigation file.
The screen’s blue glow lit his face—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLtmFJkZt3c
and reflected off the Batman’s unmoving cowl.
“I just felt something was off about Nora,” Tim began, his tone steady as always.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡb0dgX53oHA
“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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡC21x2DWpqq
Inside were screenshots of posts, comment threads, and repost logs.
“She turned out to be Nightnest,” Tim said, turning toward Bruce.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡo3qc8xu58j
“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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡvx2wyKG247
He’d known for years how people spun wild stories, imagined all kinds of relationships—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ5sPfKJ5Eqx
Bruce and the mayor? Bruce and Superman? Bruce and the Joker?17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡv6NibtFFBM
Even Bruce and his own split personality.
There was nothing people wouldn’t dream up.
But those had always been fantasies—fictional, absurd, harmless.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡPxiAGxKYsQ
And fantasy, after all, wasn’t a crime.
Batman couldn’t, and shouldn’t, stop people from imagining.
But this…17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2gIOgQcKYz
This wasn’t just fantasy anymore.
This fantasy had a name.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡG7jTPy51jY
A face.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAKyxD8l0k0
It was now Finn’s teacher.
Tim shifted slightly, standing before the monitor, arms at his sides.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡETukhO93ly
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,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaqXkEjhbAo
“I wanted to confirm whether she had access to too much intel about the vigilantes.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRRQj0pS73e
Whether she posed a risk.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡXgTeFYCwQj
That’s why I decided to ask her out—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡttlPXqca1u
strictly part of the investigation.”
He said it steadily.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9lG5su2N3v
Didn’t even flinch.
But the truth was—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡkpl5MEeyuW
yes, he’d brought surveillance gear;17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡowCt3f5rCD
yes, he’d tried to profile her through interaction;17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡDrctSxPVpp
and yes… during all those observations and conversations…
something not part of the mission17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0RWUraq6IS
had caught his attention.
So he crossed his fingers.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYsuUrUuHvY
It wasn’t lying.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡs5IcDr2Ofa
Just… omitting certain details.
He didn’t mention the shooting range.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡfvxvcQJYBB
Or the red wine.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡA34GVrLfXx
Or the candlelight.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡwUHFcYTB0a
He didn’t mention the way she knelt down that day to draw stars for the kids.
Tim thought to himself—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡBTFhm8shAl
Nora should be thankful.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKvmfl5ZqgG
If Bruce had found out her identity from the start,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ4P2vTwduQY
or if one of the other Bat-family members had gotten suspicious,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ0gGX26CCnk
the outcome might’ve been far uglier.
Batman stayed silent for a moment.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNqiTM89bgo
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.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1YgyGftyOZ
“Her identity… for now, doesn’t appear to be a threat.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3Qaiy5ZHJx
But this stays between us. No one else can know.”
Tim nodded, exhaling quietly.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ63V5gaurZn
He’d pulled off a tightrope act, balancing on the edge of a storm.
But he also knew—17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8VpnxYJReS
if even one step in this undercover investigation went wrong,17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKprvjFNMLB
that woman who filled pages with fantasy17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ9GR64GdURW
would no longer be the subject of a romantic subplot—
She’d become someone Batman watched personally.17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡdOprqQTab1
And that’s no love story.
17Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡRCdeB3WErg
and then Add to home screen.