Shadow Creatures || TIM DRAKE

⥈ chapter eighteen: FIRST KISS ⥈

"I don't sleep much anymore." 

"Yeah, I know." Tim said, stepping onto the mat.

"Want to go a few rounds?" Tim asked. Dabria nodded and stepped forward and without even waiting to see if Tim was ready, she moved in to punch him in the gut. Tim blocked her move but didn't manage to block her left hand swing.

"You really need to take a break Dabria." Tim said as they danced around the mat, trying to figure out a way to take each other down. 

"Not you too."

"All I'm saying is. You can relax. Nothing bad is going to happen. Not while we're around." 

"It's because you're around that I'm afraid something is going to happen." Dabria said, disappearing from his view. Tim had gotten pretty good at fighting her when he couldn't see her though. He just had to rely on sound instead of sight. Dabria kicked him in the side and would have punched him in the face but Tim caught her arm and tried to lock it behind her back but Dabria elbowed him in the ribs and slammed her head into his chin. 

"Why?" Tim asked, tasting blood in his mouth as Dabria reappeared in front of him, bouncing around on the balls of her feet. 

"My nightmares. They've gotten worse." Tim lowered his hands.

"Worse how?"

"Keep your guard up." Dabria said with a frown. Tim didn't move to block her as she came in to attack. Tim blocked her first punch, wrapping his hand around her fist. When Dabria tried to punch him with her left hand, he just did the same thing with her left hand, staring at her earnestly.

"Dabria, how?" Tim said.

"I thought you wanted t fight." Dabria demanded.

"Not really. I just knew you wouldn't talk to me any other way." Dabria scoffed and pushed Tim back. He was shirtless and way too close for comfort at the moment. Not a good combination. Tim put some space between them as Dabria slowly began to unwrap her hands. 

"I've killed you all multiple times in my dreams with a sword I don't even recognize and it get's bloodier and bloodier every time." Dabria finally admitted. Tim was quiet. "I don't even know how I kill Bruce. How can I take down a man who is literally..." Dabria shook her head. "You make sense and so does the shrimp but... Bruce?" Tim almost laughed.

"You can still barely beat me in a fight. Why do you think Malum would be able to defeat me?" Dabria arched an eyebrow at her.

"Bruce has taken down a brainwashed superman before and other people who are way stronger and way more powerful than him. He has plans from A through Z and then he goes down the number line." Tim nodded slowly. All of this was true. "He has contingency plans on top of contingency plans. He's probably the smartest guy on the planet so if he can't stop some demon from hell... Who the fuck can?" Dabria said, throwing her half unwrapped hands in the air. 

"I know you're scared Dabria but... We can do this. This family has gone through a lot of shit together and this is just another bump in the road." Dabria scoffed.

"It's more like a mountain in the middle of a road but okay." Tim smiled softly and walked towards her. 

"Then let's make a tunnel through the mountain." Dabria swallowed hard and refused to look up at him as she bundled up the bandages in her hands.Her knuckles were bruised and red. Tim grabbed her right hand running his thumb over the back of her hand lightly. Dabria winced. 

"We should put your hands in ice." Dabria was going to pull back but part of her didn't want to.

"I'm fine."