Sour Candy | T. Drake ✔

[37] One Step At A Time

Dora was surprised to see Tim in the balcony, but the more surprising aspect was that he had dropped by during patrol as he was still in his Red Robin suit. She shifted the grill aside and stepped out on the balcony and Tim turned around, a smile flickering on his face.

He hadn't come there as Red Robin ever since the whole incident with Shadow Walker, but at the moment he was standing in the balcony, his cape billowing out behind him.

"So has your flask gone empty?"

His smile widened, "yes, how did you know?"

"Because that was the only reason you used to visit during patrol."

She took the flask from him and was about to go back to the kitchen to fill it up with coffee when he spoke up, "thank you."

"You're always welcome, bird boy."

She returned shortly after, handing him the flask. He gratefully accepted it, putting it to his lips as he took a huge gulp from the hot coffee.

"Ah... Feels like I'm finally awake," he remarked.

"You do know that by drinking such hot coffee, you literally burn down your throat each time."

He shrugged nonchalantly, "I don't even notice now, guess I've gotten too used to it."

Dora stood by the railings beside him, glancing at the vast city expanse before her. In that mingled network of streets and alleys, crime flourished despite the Bat vigilantes constantly on the lookout.

"You're thinking something," his voice shook her out of her thoughts, "wanna share?"

"Nothing important," she replied, "just thinking that some things never change."

"For example?"

"This city... It never changes."

Silence engulfed them as he tried to make sense of her words, unable to link why she had said that. "And is it a good or a bad thing?"

"I don't really know. It's been years since you guys have been operating as vigilantes but crime never stops."

He nodded, "yeah. Red Hood believes that we can't stop crime but we can control it to some extent. Batman likes to think opposite, chasing after an ideal situation..."

"And what about you? What do you think?" Her brown eyes had flickered towards him in curiosity, wanting to know what he really thought.

"I... I haven't really thought about it," he admitted honestly, pausing as he pondered with his lips set into a small frown, "I think that I walk the grey line, choosing whichever way I find best at the moment. I know crime can't be stopped but I want it to so I try my best to play my part in it, just like Batman. But sometimes... Sometimes I think we are all chasing after an ideal that can never be possibly achieved."

"Don't you think that it should have gotten slightly better by now?"

"Dora, I have no idea why you're asking all this."

She sighed softly, reverting her gaze towards the city, "I don't really know myself."

His gloved hand gently rested on top of hers, "but then there's always hope that things will get better. When, I don't know. But eventually, they will get better. Slowly but steadily and having that hope makes it slightly easier to keep going with all that we're doing."

A soft smile crept up onto her features, her hand turning underneath his as she interlaced their fingers together, "never thought I'd say this but you being optimistic is a very rare moment yet very very precious too."