"Don't call me that." Colt slowly moved closer to Timothy's quilt.
He froze, not daring to move, but he couldn't help but touch him. The pajamas clearly lacked the sealing properties of the quilt; the two thin layers of fabric felt as if they didn't exist, his body heat easily seeped through. The skin in contact felt as if it were stuck to a radiator, as if the heat would melt the bones on half of his body.
On such a warm and quiet night, with emotion taking the upper hand, Colt wanted to say something.
Let's start with the memories.
I remember the Robin Bird." Colt felt the warmth radiating from beside him, his whole body becoming flushed. "We were supposed to plant sunflower seeds in the garden for our observation assignment, but an eagle snatched the mother bird from the tree, so we decided to switch our observation assignment. You climbed the tree to pick the nest, hanging it from a basket, I caught it from below.
“Five bird eggs, marked with a marker, numbered one to five: President, Detective, Robin, Bat, Superbird.” Timothy groped for Colt's face and stroked his eyes.
Colt buried his face in Timothy's neck. "North American Robin's incubation period is only 12-13 days, we've been observing for a week.. If it hadn't been for that accident, the Robin Bird would have been five siblings."
"I'm sorry for leaving you in the past," Timothy's voice said, slightly hoarse.
Colt's nose felt sore, his throat felt as if something were lodged in it. He had always been rational, even cold, capable of ignoring the suffering of others. He had thought that forgetting the past was a good thing, that a world without interference would allow him to focus more on the pursuit of knowledge, that there was nothing wrong with being a Ghost.. but as Timothy apologized so sincerely, an unspeakable sense of grievance suddenly surged from the depths of Colt's heart.
"I'm sorry for leaving you alone in such a lonely place." Timothy stroked Colt's head repeatedly, his voice soft, yet it felt as if it carried a vast power, shattering something once solid.
Colt pressed his lips tightly together, tears welling up in his eyes. He shook his head while burying his face even deeper.
Timothy felt the dampness against his neck and hugged Colt tightly, using his actions to tell Colt: I am here, you are not alone.
Colt felt it. He felt as though his drifting soul had been caught, his feet finally finding solid ground. He realized that his fear of loneliness was nothing more than a long-held pretense of enjoying it. He realized that releasing one's emotions truly could make the heart feel lighter.
After a long time, Colt's sanity gradually returned, leaving him feeling both embarrassed and guilty.
Timothy was not even nine years old back then, so there was no way Timothy should be the one apologizing to him; the one who should be apologizing was him.
“I don't remember what I did back then, but I know that forgetting is a choice of one's own. Whether it was me forgetting the past, or letting you all forget me.” Colt paused, those words that he would never say in the daylight now flowed smoothly from his mind. “I'm sorry. If you were to remember everything, you would certainly remember that I was the one who knew you would become Red Robin in the future, so I approached you with an ulterior motive. I was so foolish, thinking I was a savior, but I was too weak, my will was not firm enough, so I could only choose to forget as a way to escape.”
No one needs to apologize for getting close to someone they love." Timothy kissed Colt's hair. "You are brave and strong. At seven years old, you could fight rats bigger than dogs; at eight, you saved your classmates from the Mad Hatter; and at nine, you sacrificed your own life to save nearly a thousand teachers and students at Gotham Elementary.. You saved me too. You are my hero, my Reader.
What if those disasters were brought here by me?" Colt didn't dare look up. "I am someone who shouldn't exist. Without me, Ratcatcher wouldn't have approached Gotham Elementary, the Mad Hatter wouldn't have noticed my classmates, your classmates and teachers wouldn't have been placed on the Joker's scale, Dad wouldn't have lost Mom.
“Colt, those madmen existed before you, those madmen will still exist after you.” Timothy sighed softly. “You know, there is a theory online claiming that Gotham's madmen were born because of Batman, that Batman is the original sin of Gotham.”
They're talking nonsense. Eighteen years ago, without Batman, Gotham was already a city of crime; eighteen years later, although Gotham is still a city of crime, those who want to live a normal life can always rely on Wayne to pull them back from the brink of death." Colt looked up at Timothy. "Don't pay them any mind; they don't understand Gotham. Normal Gothamites know that you all are doing the right thing. Don't blame yourself for the mistakes of others.
In the darkness, his wet, sparkling eyes were like hidden stars.
Timothy cupped Colt's face, pressing his forehead against his, said softly, "Look, you know very well that you aren't the one who caused this disaster; it was those madmen. So, don't blame yourself for other people's mistakes."
"Are you not angry because I'm intentionally getting close to you?" Colt's eyes were still red.
Why should I be angry? I'm not only not angry, I'm actually very happy." Timothy rubbed the corners of his eyes. "You know that when I was little, I was withdrawn and arrogant. I often pretended to be Holmes Detective Agency, using deduction to expose other people's flaws. I wasn't likable at all. You are my only friend.
You know everyone likes you. You're so smart that all your classmates are willing to listen to you. Especially that time you sent the principal to Blackgate Prison, the teachers were all so impressed by you." Colt closed his eyes. "They like you just as much as they like Batman, but they don't dare to joke around with you.
Timothy's kiss fell gently upon his eyes as he whispered, "Do you like it too?"
"I do." Colt lifted his head, letting the next kiss fall upon his lips.
He truly loved the sensation of their tongues greeting one another, exchanging oral bacteria and letting their breaths mingle and blend; even their heartbeats became synchronized, making even the slightly bitter aroma of coffee seem wonderful.
..
Shared Dreams was real.
Colt dreamed of many Timothy's—some who had been Robins and went straight to becoming Red Robin, some who had grown into muscular men with buzz cuts during their Robin era, some who had gone on a killing spree to become Batman.. but not a single one of them was his.
Strange, has there ever been a live-action movie of Red Robin? Why are so many scenes filmed in real-life locations?
Colt was questioning the logic of the dream when the warm body pillow in his arms suddenly drifted away, he hurriedly hugged it tight to keep it close.
The pillow patted him and spoke, "Someone has broken in, I'm going to take a look."
Colt snapped his eyes open and saw Timothy getting out of bed, dazed for a second before coming to his senses. He threw off the covers and sat up, reaching out for the Quantum Terminal.
It's Red Robin, plus Jester and Orphan. No Bat-Alerts have been issued, the patrol channel is quiet, so it shouldn't be an emergency mission." Timothy put on his coat and knelt on one knee on the bed, pressing Colt back under the covers. "Go back to sleep.
Colt craned his neck to look at his leg.
It won't affect your movement at all; I think the splint can come off." Timothy kissed Colt's furrowed brow. "Alright, I'll use a wheelchair. Robin has drawn his blade, so I have to go save our walls.
Timothy left.
Colt listened to the sounds of fighting clattering from downstairs, mixed with Red Robin's low-voiced cursing, Jester complaining that Timothy didn't notify his sisters when things got dangerous, while Timothy explained softly that he didn't want to disturb their long-awaited study trip..
Timothy turned on the coffee machine.
Drinking coffee at one in the morning?
Colt frowned as a coughing sound erupted from the speaker in the downstairs restaurant, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
"Is it Ghost?" Jester mouthed.
The Bat Family didn't understand what *** meant; ever since Timothy announced he was in a relationship with Ghost, his brothers and sisters had created a dedicated group just to discuss the matter. They had turned Colt's files upside down because the information was a confusing mix of truth and lies, people were even placing bets on whether Ghost was actually Professor Joseph's child.
Unfortunately, Ghost is elusive online, making him very difficult to get close to.
The three guests looked around left and right.
"There is still milk and cake in the refrigerator," a voice came through the speaker again.
Timothy paused, silently leaving the coffee machine to open the refrigerator and pour a glass of milk for everyone, he also handed out a cupcake to each person.
The Jester was just about to refuse the milk, but his eyes instantly widened when he saw the cute blonde/beautiful purple eggplant mug and the adorable Orphan mug featuring a ballerina among flowers; he held the mug in his hands, unable to let it go.
"I like him," Jester said, nudging Orphan with his elbow and winking.
The Orphan also held his own cup and nodded repeatedly.
The cup was very cute, the cake was delicious too.
Red Robin gave a cold snort and glanced at the plain, featureless glass cup placed in front of him. His eyes scanned the area, he let out a whistle. A few seconds later, a red shadow plummeted from above like a lead ball, crashing heavily into Red Robin's arms.
"Let me see if you've been slacking off lately." Red Robin pulled out a calculator and then a small packet of specially formulated birdseed.
Birdie stared at the bird food, chest puffed out, walking from Red Robin's left shoulder to his right, then from his right shoulder to his left.
The brave little bird is not afraid of exams!
The Orphan whispered a thank you to the air, while the Jester whispered to Timothy, "Timmy, I really can't believe there's anyone besides Alfred who can actually stop you from drinking coffee."
"It's just that I can't drink it after six in the evening; I can drink as much as I want during the day." Timothy's explanation sounded like sweet boasting.
The Jester fanned the air in front of his nose, attempting to fan away the sour stench of romance.
They didn't come for a night raid, nor did they come for a late-night snack; they came on a mission.
Today is Christmas, everyone must go home for dinner, even Jason. Bruce's point is that Ghost knows our identities, so you can take him home. Alfred has installed electronic speakers and a 3D holographic projector in the common area.
The three of them came and went in a hurry.
Red Robin left behind bird food and homework, Jester and Orphan took their mugs, Timothy went back upstairs with the bird who refused to sleep alone.
Timothy came out of the bathroom after rinsing his mouth and saw Colt coaxing the bird to sleep.
Back at Wayne, the Robin Bird could eat, drink, sleep, even help Alfred catch bugs in the garden. He would fall asleep every night and wake up at the first whistle in the early morning to practice with Red Robin, being quite independent and self-reliant. But as soon as Colt returned, the bird became so weak that he needed someone to coax him to sleep.
Timothy admitted that he felt a bit of an imbalance in his heart; Red Robin was also a Red Robin, he should also receive the treatment of being cuddled and kissed to sleep.
Colt did not show any favoritism; after soothing Birdie to sleep, he naturally crawled into Timothy's covers, rolled into Red Robin's arms, kissed his lips, rubbed his face against his, soothed himself to sleep.
Timothy..
I forgot to ask if Colt was going to Wayne Manor for Christmas. Never mind, I'll ask him when I wake up.
Timothy hugged Colt tightly and closed his eyes, marveling at how his regular sleep schedule was good enough to move Alfred to tears.
Rustle.. rustle..
..
Colt spent the whole night dreaming of reading comics, when he woke up, his eyes felt dry and his throat was parched. His neck was resting on Timothy's hand, his face nestled against the side of Timothy's neck, one of his hands was still resting on Timothy's chest.
Colt quietly tried to scoot back, only to be held tightly by Timothy again.
Damn, young bodies are incredibly full of vitality in the morning.
Colt wanted to struggle, but fearing he might touch Timothy's injuries, he chose to close his eyes and recite by heart: ".. Entropy measures the disorder of a system. Living organisms constantly move from order toward disorder, ultimately, irreversibly, toward aging and death.."
Very good, he had calmed down.
No school or work today, so I can sleep for a little longer." Timothy kissed Colt's forehead and said mumbly, "Good morning.
Damn, young bodies are so full of vigor in the morning!
Colt tried to forget about it, staring at the small wet patch on Timothy's pajamas, expressionlessly wiped the corner of his mouth.
Why do I drool in my sleep? Why didn't I notice this before?
Timothy opened his eyes and met Colt's annoyed and angry gaze. After sensing the situation, he suppressed the smile at the corners of his mouth, but the mirth in his voice was impossible to hide: "Colt, this is a sign of good health. Do you need me to give you a lesson in biology?"
Colt's face instantly burned up, he grabbed a pillow to cover Timothy's face.
Some things shouldn't be said during the day if they weren't said at night, ahhhhh!
Timothy grabbed a pillow and placed it behind his head, staring at Colt's ears, which were as red as if they were on fire, said loudly, "You forgot to take off your hearing aid last night; your ears are pressed all red."
Colt slammed the bathroom door shut, shutting Timothy's voice behind him. Quickly taking care of personal hygiene was the key to solving hygiene problems; as for physiological needs, he could just leave them be and they would resolve themselves.
Timothy was full of energy, looking nothing like an injured person; he carefully tidied the bed, while Birdie kept burrowing in and out of the covers, making more work for him.
Christmas is exceptionally cold this year; it is snowing outside, so the Robin Bird didn't go out for early training.
Colt found a massive new sock by his bedside. He looked at the bulging sock, then looked at Timothy.
"Merry Christmas! Open it and see what Santa Claus sent you." Timothy smiled at him.
I'm long past the age of believing in Santa Claus." Colt patted his pocket and pulled out a small box for Timothy: "Merry Christmas.
The size of the box was quite misleading, for a moment, Timothy had the illusion that he would find a ring inside upon opening it. Colt directly shattered his fantasy: "I'll give you the key first; you can only use the car once your leg is completely healed."
Coincidentally, Timothy's gift was also a key—a diamond key, nestled within a bouquet of roses crafted from 4.95 kilograms of gold. The diamond wasn't made of inlaid small stones, but was carved from a single, solid diamond.
Colt wanted to say that he didn't actually love money that much, but the gold and diamonds were so dazzling that they made his eyes light up instantly.
Timothy loved seeing his eyes sparkle like that; he felt it was well worth using two favors to have Superman mold the diamonds and carve the key. "The key was made by a friend as a favor, it comes with a chip that can open my Safe House."
Colt could enter and exit any place without the key, including Red Robin's Safe House; the key was merely a symbol. He carefully removed the necklace from his neck, hanging the key together with the Spacetime Signal Stabilizer.
Inside Timothy's gift box was an electronic car key that used biometric recognition to identify its owner and came with its own AI. Once activated, it projected a beautiful motorcycle, its appearance similar to the scrapped Red Sparrow that Red Robin once owned, featuring a Vibranium shell, an integrated Shield Protector, flight capabilities.
Colt had started working on this motorcycle as early as October.
The two exchanged gifts, neither comparing their value, both being very satisfied with each other's thoughtfulness.