Colt nodded. "Because of that misunderstanding, this morning's gift is thirty blonde wigs; you can wear a different one every day for a month without repeats."
Colt closed the dishwasher and pressed the start button. He wiped his hands on his apron, leaned against the kitchen counter, looked at Timothy.
Timothy was also looking at him.
They reached a certain consensus through their misunderstanding, believing that the misunderstanding had to be cleared up today.
"I thought you admired Bernard." Timothy didn't even use the word 'like'.
"Of course I don't; I just thought you liked him." Colt was very matter-of-fact, he just didn't want to mention Bernard's name.
“He and I are just classmates, ordinary classmates. Given the circumstances that day, anyone would have gone, Red Robin would have gone, it had nothing to do with Bernard himself.” Timothy almost wanted to swear to God to make his words more credible, but Colt didn't believe in God, even Timothy's own faith in God wasn't that steadfast, so he didn't swear.
Colt fell silent, his toes curling against the soles of his shoes.
Timothy asked earnestly, "What made you have such a misunderstanding?"
I saw it." Colt looked down at the patterns on the kitchen floor. "You came out to your family for a blond named Bernard; you two dated, held hands, you even had the thought of having a child for him—a thought that would make Red Robin retire.
"Colt Reed!" Timothy shouted sternly.
Colt stood at attention with his hands at his sides.
Timothy said in a serious tone, "Can you distinguish between memories of your past life and reality?"
I can tell them apart. Memories are fragments; whatever I see, a little bit suddenly pops up, whatever I think of, a little bit suddenly pops up again." Colt glanced at Timothy. "I'm sorry, I got them mixed up.
You don't need to apologize," Timothy said, pressing a hand to his forehead. "So, what were you originally planning to do to Bernard?
Record the biological information and observe closely." Colt paused, glancing at Timothy. "I can't get to him, so I can't give him a recommendation letter to a foreign university, nor can I fund his studies abroad for ten or twenty years.
Timothy strategically lowered his head and scratched his injured leg, as if scratching through the cast would actually help.
It turned out he could blush too, it started from his ears.
Colt stared at Timothy's reddened earlobes, his own face heating up in response. He was no longer satisfied with those knowing probes; he wanted to break through the thin veil of ambiguity and change this uncertain atmosphere.
Whether things would be better or worse after the change.
Colt held his breath, seizing the opportunity to press further: "You think I admire him, yet you instigated him to go to Germany to study abroad, why?"
Timothy's hand stopped scratching the cast as he watched Colt's face, which was flushed as if on fire, seeing both trepidation and anticipation in those moist eyes. Timothy took a deep breath and answered truthfully, "To get him out of the way, to keep you two worlds apart, to eliminate all possibilities before the story even begins."
His voice was steady and his tone was firm, but he was undoubtedly nervous, his fingers pressing so hard against the cast that he left indentations.
Colt felt like he already knew the answer and that this topic could be paused. He should take off his apron, leave the kitchen, catch up on his missed study plan. But his feet seemed to have a will of their own, remaining stuck in place, his fingers lacked strength as they toyed with the apron strings, his mind was automatically performing text-to-speech.
"I don't like blondes; there's no chance with him." Colt pursed his lips.
Timothy nodded slightly. "I don't like him either; what you saw was probably just a piece of work by some shitty editor who ruined his character."
Although Colt knew that the Timothy in the comics was not his Timothy, the shadow of that blond-haired boy had always lingered, almost like thorns taking root in his heart. Now that the thorns had been removed, he felt his heart grow lighter, yet his body felt heavier, as if his feet had finally touched solid ground.
Colt had a thousand things to say, but he deleted them as soon as he wrote them, wrote them only to delete them again, until finally, he sent only a single sentence.
You're swearing.
There are no profanity cans here," Timothy smiled, "I like..
Ding
Colt jumped up, frantically opening the dishwasher that had finished its cycle to organize the utensils inside.
Careful, it's hot," Timothy said, pressing down on his hand. "This is an all-in-one machine for washing, sanitizing, storing; the tableware can stay inside.
Colt felt Timothy's hand was even hotter than the high-temperature sanitized plates.
Timothy didn't let go of Colt's hand and looked seriously into Colt's eyes: "Even though my confession plans didn't include dishwashers, wheelchairs, or casts, I think timing is sometimes more important than planning. Colt Red, I've made it obvious enough—the one Timothy Drake likes is you."
He said it! He actually said it! He said he likes me!
Colt's brain stalled.
Timothy added softly, "I love you."
Love is a light word, but when Timothy said it, it carried great weight.
Colt shuddered all over as if struck by an electric current, so excited that he even began to feel a sense of panic; he felt it was all happening too fast. But he had played the blind, deaf, mute for too long; at this moment, he would not allow himself to escape or shrink back.
“I like you too, Tim.” Colt struggled to reboot his brain. “I'm sorry I can't say 'love.' Because only you can hold my hand, I can't be sure whether the excitement, dependence, possessiveness in this feeling are pure, or if they are perhaps just an illusion of excitement, like the suspension bridge effect.”
This isn't academic research. You don't need to discern the source of every single emotion, let alone analyze whether they are pure; discerning them is the work of the one who loves you." Timothy began to smile. "If we follow your logic, if every instance of love at first sight in this world is merely lust, then is it not still love?
Colt scuffed his toe against the ground and took a deep breath. "So, are we in love now?"
Timothy nodded. "Of course, this is love."
"Won't it be too fast?" Colt looked at Timothy, his eyes moist and shimmering.
“Is it too fast? I don't think so at all. From the very first moment I saw you, I wanted to do this." Timothy took Colt's hand and pulled him to sit on his lap. "You're looking forward to it too, right? Lovers are allowed to be like this."
Colt took off his grease-stained apron, adjusted his gravity to make himself as light as a dragonfly, sat down cautiously.
You don't have to be so careful," Timothy said, one hand around Colt's waist and the other pressing against his back, letting Colt lean back against his shoulder. "It's okay to be like this between lovers.
Colt's left cheek pressed against Timothy's right cheek, as if he were nestling his entire body into Timothy's embrace, letting out a satisfied sigh.
Lovers can hug whenever they want and stare for as long as they like," Timothy whispered in his ear. "In the future, if I'm with someone who makes you uncomfortable, you can say so directly. It's a boyfriend's privilege.
That sounds wonderful.
And there's even more wonderful things to come.
Timothy's hands, which were resting on his waist, moved upward to brush his hanging bangs behind his head, cupping his face and gently kissing his lips.
It was not a superficial kiss like those exchanged during a morning or evening greeting, but a deep kiss where breaths merged and heartbeats synchronized, as their tongues brushed against teeth, sharing saliva with one another.
Colt closed his eyes, enjoying the kiss with all his heart.
Kissing is also a boyfriend's privilege.
..
Falling in love is a science.
Colt added romance to his syllabus and invited Timothy to study it with him.
Timothy held the "How to Date" printout that had just come out of the printer, for a moment, he wondered whether Colt's thought processes were more human or more AI.
1. Self-awareness and preparation. Understand your own interests, personality, values, expectations in a relationship; clarify your needs in a partner and how much effort you are willing to put in for them; and be mentally prepared to accept a partner's flaws and take risks.
2. Be Honest. During a relationship, do not lie or hide things, because lies destroy trust and affect the relationship.
3. Communication and Listening. Listen to your partner's thoughts and feelings, express your own needs and feelings straightforwardly without using aggressive or vague language. When conflicts arise, communicate calmly and seek solutions that are acceptable to both parties.
4. Respect and Inclusivity. Love must be built on an equal relationship, respecting your partner's opinions, feelings, personal space, being inclusive of their flaws and imperfections.
5. Maintain independence and grow together. Respect each other's personal space, allowing your partner time for solitude and friends. Cultivate shared hobbies, encourage your partner to pursue their dreams, support one another, grow together.
6. Create a romantic atmosphere..
..
This dating guide could easily serve as an academic paper!
"Is there a grading system? Is there an exam?" Timothy asked earnestly.
"Leave the grading to emotions, leave the exam to time," Colt replied earnestly.
Timothy thought about it and felt he couldn't let Colt have all the glory. "Since you've produced a textbook on love, then I'll produce a love questionnaire, once we've finished, we can recite the answers to each other."
Colt didn't know what it was like for other people to be in love. In any case, Colt's relationship with Timothy began with them squeezed together at the same desk filling out questionnaires, while also having to deal with birds that would burst in to feed them wild berries.
Of course, their questionnaires weren't about investigating how much they knew about each other, but rather about helping the other person understand them better. They started with basic information like name, gender, birthday, moved on to preferences, interests, values, romantic expectations, how they hoped the other person would act in special circumstances.
In fact, it was very useful.
Colt thought he knew Timothy well enough, but it wasn't until he received the questionnaire that he realized he only knew the surface.
Your favorite drink isn't coffee, but orange juice?
I'm used to drinking coffee, many times I need coffee, but I prefer the taste of freshly squeezed orange juice." Timothy also held Colt's questionnaire. "You always drink warm water, but you like sugar-free milk tea?
Making milk tea is a hassle, the ones you buy outside are too sweet; drinking warm water is healthier than drinking ice water," Colt nodded. "Your favorite snack isn't Alfred's cookies, but the cake Janet made.
Janet only made cake for me once; in fact, the sponge was a bit overbaked, but I think that truly was my favorite treat." Timothy pointed at Colt's answer, "Why is your favorite treat steamed buns, which seem to be a staple food from the Far East?
I like rice as a staple and mantou as a snack," Colt explained with an example. "When I eat mantou while calculating, my brain feels like it's floating, my inspiration becomes incredibly abundant.
"Your brain feels like it's floating because you're having a carb crash," Timothy commented sharply.
..
There is still a difference between lovers and friends.
First, the questionnaire helped them understand each other better. Second, following the contents of a dating textbook, Colt was completely honest and brought Timothy into the basement.
The basement has three floors in total. Without Joseph's permission, you cannot enter levels -2 or -3. Level -1 is my workshop, where I build skateboards and modify wheelchairs. The motorcycle you see is a Christmas gift prepared for you; its design is inspired by Red Robin's Red Sparrow. I have some new ideas; some modules from the Knowledge Explorer can be loaded onto the motorcycle.
The main computer of the workshop is a Quantum Computer; it monitors the signals. Joseph can see all the uploaded and downloaded content, so any secret communications or special work content should be completed in the isolation zone. This is the isolation zone I built, but I'm not sure if Joseph hasn't discovered it, or if he is indulging my secrecy.
This is the lounge. It has a restroom, a cloakroom, a sterilization room.. sometimes it's also used as an examination room, Joseph always performs my physical examinations here.
Colt introduced everything as he led Timothy to the lounge, opened the small refrigerator to check the expiration dates of the food and water, then went upstairs to get a fruit platter and snacks.
On the first day of their romance, they soaked in the basement.
Timothy reinforced the information isolation zone for Colt while using the Wilderness Healing Light to treat his leg, while Colt organized the data for the Leap Mech's space jumps.
There was no need for conversation; the faint beeping of the healing light, the tapping of keys, the sounds of drinking and eating.. all of these served as a constant reminder of presence, letting Colt know he was not alone.
Being with Birdie is a different feeling.
Timothy fed him a strawberry and leaned in to look at his light screen. "Homework left by Stark?"
"No, I'm organizing my mecha design optimization plan by writing a paper on interstellar leaps." The strawberries were a bit large, Colt struggled to eat them one by one, his cheeks bulging slightly as he ate.
"Is the [Knowledge Explorer] not useful?" Timothy handed him another one.
"The [Knowledge Explorer] is a product of dreams; some of its functions are difficult to analyze and cannot be replicated." Colt hadn't finished what was in his mouth, but after glancing at the piece being offered to his lips again, he opened his mouth to catch it.
Timothy gently poked his bulging cheek, smiling so much that his eyes curved slightly. "You really like scientific research?" He remembered that in the survey, Colt's answer was playing video games.
"It's not exactly a passion, just a habit. A student's primary task is to study." Colt didn't mention that he studied so desperately because he wanted to take this knowledge back to change the world in his former homeland—that high technology shouldn't be an expensive toy for a select few, but something used to serve society.
Timothy nodded. "That makes a lot of sense. No matter where you are or what happens, knowledge will never betray you."
After a brief rest, Colt continued his Leap Mech thesis, while Timothy used the Quantum Computer's infinite split-screen functionality to conduct high-intensity patrols of the Dark Web to gather information, especially from the Gotham underground forums.