Sour Candy | T. Drake ✔

[17] Healing

Healing from all the wounds inflicted due to the current situation was a lengthy process. Dora had decided to go for an abortion but she still felt guilty about not giving her child the chance to live. Even at the last moment, she was conflicted.

And when she finally went through with it and was brought back home afterwards, she felt as if a cherished part of her had been ripped out of her body, the void inside her making her feel terribly incomplete.

It took a considerably long time to recover from the emotional stress it had put her in but with her friends and family beside her, she was eventually pulled out of the dark hole of sorrow and guilt.

In the meanwhile, she had been through with all the tests prescribed to her to determine the nature of the toxin and determine the possible cure but the doctors were unable to trace out its roots. So upon Selina's insistence, she met Pamela Isley who had asked for the reports of the tests she had been through already so that she would be able to study it and see whether she could work upon an antidote for it or not.

Dora had resumed working in the coffee shop as well so that she could keep herself occupied. She had found that the busier she kept herself, the less time she got to think about her loss.

However, Tim had been with her through that every second, making sure that she never felt that she was going through it alone.

With all the love and care provided by Tim, Alex and the rest of them, she was slowly but steadily coming back to how she used to be before.

Night had fallen when Alex finally managed to persuade Dora to go up to her room and rest while he looked after the kitchen himself. Reluctantly, she had agreed, trudging up the stairs and passed by the balcony.

However, she felt as if there was someone in the balcony, so she stopped by the locked grills, looking out to see who was there.

A candle lit up, the faint flame flickering in the darkness and illuminating clear blue eyes that she could recognize anywhere.

"Tim?" She pushed aside the grill and stepped out, watching him hold his hand near the candle's dancing flame so that it wouldn't get snuffed out. "What are you doing here?"

"Happy Birthday," he whispered and she saw that the candle was actually set on top of a cupcake, "it's not midnight yet but I couldn't wait so... Happy Birthday in advance."

A soft smile graced her features as she stepped closer, "honestly, I hadn't even remembered..."

"But I did," he held the cupcake in front of her so that she could blow out the candle and make a wish, "oh and please don't tell the others about this or else they will murder me."

"I see, a birthday surprise is overdue?"

"They have been planning it for a week now," he mumbled, "and especially don't tell Alex. He will actually kill me if he finds out I snitched."

A light laugh poured out from her and she blew the candle, making a wish in her heart for her and Tim to never have to go through such a huge trauma as the one they had just recovered from.

Relief spread on Tim's features to hear her laugh after so long, seeing the light pink tainting her cheeks instead of the alarmingly pale color her skin had faded to earlier that month.

She held the cupcake towards him, gesturing him to take a bite but he refused.

"In my hurry, I couldn't get a cake without all of them noticing so I just bought this. It's barely even a bite, Dora. You're supposed to eat it."

"Nope, we'll share," she bit half of the cupcake and placed the other half in his mouth.

His hands gently closed onto her arms pulling her closer, watching the shade on her cheeks deepen as he pressed a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Thank you," she mumbled, her wrists gently crossing at the back of his neck as she leaned closer and kissed him.

But they had to pull apart as the distinct sound of Alex climbing up the stairs could be heard. Right next moment, Tim had swung off the railings, hand still holding onto the metal rod so that he wouldn't fall off.

"Don't tell him I'm here," he mouthed, blue eyes wide in an imploring look. 

She held back the urge to laugh again however, Alex's voice made her turn around, "Dora, why are you in the balcony?"

"Oh hey," she smiled, "I was... Talking to Selina."

Alex looked over her shoulder to Selina's balcony, "but she's not there?"

"She just left," she remarked immediately.

Honey shaded irises flickered in suspicion, "okay... Go to bed then, it's too late. We have an early start tomorrow."

"Of course," she nodded, backing up against the rails so that he wouldn't see Tim hanging down still, "just going. I'll lock the grill, don't worry."

He raised an eyebrow skeptically not moving for a few minutes but then nodded, "fine."

Alex's footsteps retreated and Tim came back up, holding onto her arm. "That was a close call," he breathed, "Al sometimes scares the hell out of me."

"You've lived half of your life as a vigilante but are scared by the most harmless of things; first the floor mop, then Alex."

He shook his head, disagreeing with her, "first off, the floor mop isn't harmless. It almost broke my ribs. Secondly, your brother can be very scary when he wants to. Just because you haven't seen him angry doesn't mean you can deem him as harmless." 

She laughed but he looked behind her furtively as if expecting Alex to come back. And true enough, he caught sight of Al's tall figure leaning against the grills of the balcony, honey irises dancing in amusement.

"Caught you," he remarked, watching Tim's features go pale instantly, "what are you doing in our balcony, Timothy?"

He stuttered, unable to think of a convincing excuse, "I... Uh... Nothing..."

"He came for coffee," Dora quickly covered up for him, "just now."

"He wasn't here earlier?"

"No, not at all." Tim was shaking his head and Dora couldn't help but smile at the sight of him being absolutely adorable.

"I doubt that," Alex remarked, but chose not to tease them further. He had seen Dora smile and laugh like that after so long, he didn't want to spoil it, "anyway, you can give him the coffee he needs and after that he's leaving."

"Yes sir," Tim's reply was immediate, accompanied by a light salute, making both of them crack up.

Alex stepped aside to let them in then locked the grills of the balcony himself while the two descended the stairs to the kitchen. He had a soft smile playing upon his lips, hearing the two talking softly as they went downstairs, the distinct sound of Dora's laughter reaching him again.

Truth be told, he had been furious at Tim earlier when he had just found out about the whole ordeal of Dora getting pregnant and being in danger due to it. But by then as he had seen him support Dora throughout and help her get better, he couldn't stay angry at him for long.

No matter what, Tim and Dora made each other the best version of themselves and he was glad that both had started to gradually but steadily heal their relationship.

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