Caffeine Withdrawal | T. Drake ✔

[20] Unexpected Company At Dinner

Night had fallen and the lights in Dora's Coffee Haunt dimmed with the last of the customers leaving through the door. Alex had just left for Chinatown so Isadora had to close the kitchen by herself but she decided to check the door first.

Turning over the sign to Closed, she was about to go back when the sound of tapping against the glass panel made her stop.

She turned around alert but saw Tim outside, his hands pressing against the glass and he seemed rather out of breath. His blue eyes met hers and he began to speak, she couldn't hear him but he seemed in utter distress.

Sighing wearily and shaking her head, she unlocked the door and stepped aside to let him in, "I couldn't hear a word of what you were saying out there."

His eyes widened, "what? I wasted my breath for a whole five minutes?"

"Five minutes is a little too much, don't exaggerate."

He looked around and spoke up, "you guys closed the shop already..."

"Yup, didn't you read the sign?"

"In case you hadn't noticed I was a little out of breath due to running all the way here."

A small smile flickered on her face, "why, didn't any of your brothers give you a lift?"

"They aren't normally that nice," he shrugged, "Dick's an exception though but he was held up at work."

She looked at him briefly, "Officer Grayson?"

"Yup." But then he spoke up, "I know it's closing time and you have to leave but can I please, please get one cup of coffee? I swear my headache would get worse if I don't."

She knew he was going to say that, "it's past closing time, Tim. I was about to have dinner."

His fingers ran through his messy brown hair as he looked at her with blue eyes wide in a pleading expression, "Dora please... I swear it won't happen again."

She couldn't help but give in to the adorable expression he had managed, "I'll let you off just this once but next time if you come after closing, I won't open the kitchen again for you."

Relief washed on his features as he followed her to the kitchen, "thank you so much, I owe you."

The lights were already switched on in the kitchen for she hadn't packed up everything yet, "you're lucky I had gotten a little late and everything isn't packed up already."

He picked up one of the last two cookies in the baking tray, relishing the chocolate flavor, "still, thanks."

She nodded placing the cup in front of him. "Have you had dinner?"

"Not yet."

"Well, I live off sandwiches but they taste good..."

"Dora I'm fine, I don't want to bother you anymore than I already have," he spoke up immediately noticing that she had busied herself in making some more sandwiches.

She shrugged off his remark, "it's no bother really." She fixed up some sandwiches for him as well then placed both plates on the table as she took a seat across from him.

"You and your bother are too good for Gotham," Tim's eyes had a distant gleam as if he was thinking about something.

Dora smiled, "if Steph was here she would say you're flirting again."

He shook his head, features breaking into an adorable grin, "I was not flirting. I was just stating a fact. But yeah Steph would have said that, no doubt."