ROBIN. [ S1 complete and S2 in the making! ]

The Fateful Encounter

"Hello, Robin." 

Y/n spoke gracefully as if she knew she was being followed this whole time.

Y/n greeted; her voice as smooth as the confident stride that propelled her forward. The jig was well and truly up, and there was no point in pretending otherwise. With a graceful leap, Robin materialized behind her, landing silently.

"How'd you know?" he questioned, his voice a youthful rasp through his mask.

"Know what?" she continued in a playful tone laced with an underlying mystery. It was the kind of smile that kept people guessing, a smile that offered no glimpse into the maze of thoughts swirling behind it.  

"That I was... observing you," he finally amended, his voice dropping a notch as he admitted to following her.

"Stalking would be a more accurate term," she replied quietly, her voice still barely a whisper as seemed to glide forward, the space between them collapsing with each deliberate step. 

The heat of the city, previously masked by the adrenaline of the chase, began to prickle at Robin's skin. He felt a blush creep up his neck, hidden beneath the mask, and his thoughts started to scramble. Y/n's voice, when she spoke, was a soft whisper that vibrated directly into his ear, sending shivers down his spine.

Nights in Gotham are indeed dangerous. People end up locking their shops, doors, windows, and their curtains making it eerily dark in the late of the night.

Because of the lack of light, Gotham's night skies can clearly be viewed from rooftops.

It was a beautiful sight. And it still is.

And that very galaxy shone over Gotham glossed on Y/n's crystal eyes.

By the time he could compose himself, Y/n was already in front of him, smiling under the alluring moonlight, inches apart from his face.

Now they stood toe-to-toe, their faces mere inches apart. 

"Care explaining?" she murmured, the question laced with a hint of amusement that sent his heart into a confused double-time. Y/n's smile held a hint of amusement, the kind that danced in the shadows and never quite reached her eyes. 

The air crackled with unspoken tension. Robin remained a statue, immobilized by his own conflicting emotions. Surprise, confusion, and a spark of something he couldn't quite define warred within him. Finally, he managed a strangled, "Why?"

Y/n's playful smirk vanished, replaced by a fleeting look of vulnerability that disappeared as quickly as it came. "Let's just say," she began, her voice barely a whisper, "I was curious. Curious about you, about what brings you to this part of town at this hour."

Her words hung heavy in the air; a challenge wrapped in an invitation. Robin felt a flicker of defiance ignite within him. "Maybe I could ask you the same question?" he countered, his voice regaining a hint of its usual sharpness.

Y/n raised an eyebrow, a playful glint returning to her eyes. "Perhaps," she conceded, a hint of a smile playing on her lips.

The silence stretched again, charged with a newfound energy. It wasn't the tense silence of suspicion anymore, but one laced with unspoken possibilities. Just as Robin felt the urge to speak, a distant siren wailed, shattering the fragile bubble they'd built.

Y/n sighed, a hint of amusement in her eyes as she shook her head, smiling once more. "Duty calls," she murmured, stepping back.

"Wait," Robin blurted out, surprised at his own boldness. Y/n tilted her head, her eyes searching his. "There's something you're not telling me, aren't you?" he pressed, his voice a low rumble.

Y/n's smile remained enigmatic. "Maybe," she said, her eyes twinkling under the moonlight. "But some secrets are best kept hidden... for now."

Before Robin could protest, she leaned in, surprising him with a soft kiss on the cheek. The touch was fleeting, a whisper against his skin, but it sent a jolt through him. 

Then, with a final, playful laugh that echoed in the alleyway, she turned and vanished into the labyrinthine alleyways, leaving him speechless. He stood there, the echo of her laughter and the warmth of her kiss lingering in the cool night air. 

The encounter left him with a head full of questions and a heart pounding a rhythm he couldn't quite explain.

The encounter of two young teens in the summer night of Gotham.

Chapter XII | The Fateful Encounter
Word count: 705