Work Text:
Well fuck. Fuck fuck fuck fuck. How had he fucked up so badly? Tim followed fucking Batman and Robin for years without getting caught. He had done the same for a couple of his crushes and exes. Hell, he still followed the bats from time to time in and out of the cape. No one ever knew, and he never told them either. It was a secret he was loath to offer up. So how had he fucked this up so badly?
Standing stock-still with his camera raised just under his chin, Tim and his would-be photographed subject locked eyes across the expanse of the park. Eyes widen, mouth agape. Leaves shifted in a gentle breeze, the only sound stretching between the two stunned young men. Distantly a dog barked somewhere nearby. The other man clearly didn’t know what to think when he discovered Tim, and Tim was at a loss himself. He was so fucked. How was he going to play this off?
“It's not what it looks like?” His stupid mouth betrayed him, letting out words before he had a clear plan. Listening to how pathetic his voice and the words sounded made his skin crawl. Think, Tim, think. “You walked into frame?”
“Right….” Skepticism colored the voice of the other dark haired man. “But why were you following me then?”
Tim had in fact been following the stranger around since he'd spotted him at the nearby coffee shop. It hadn't been a fully conscious decision. Rarely did the weather in Gotham tantalize him to an outing to the city but this was one of those such days. With a coffee and his camera, he was inspired to snap some photos of the city on that unusual, golden noon day. Then he saw the dark haired boy standing off to the side at the cafe, casting furtive glances at him as they waited for their drinks in silence. Something about him had piqued his interest, Here he was now.
“I'm not sure what you mean.” Tim lied. “It's a public space, and a beautiful day. I'm taking nature photos. I have every right to be here.”
“I saw you earlier at the cafe.”
“Did you? The one near this park?” There was a sound of affirmation from the other man. He really needed to get his name. He thinks it's Danny, that was the name he thought he heard when he went to grab his drink, “I did get a coffee there. That doesn't mean I'm following you.”
“Then let me see your camera.” Danny’s(?) hand was held open as he closed the distance between them. “If you're not a creep stalking me then you have no issues letting me see?”
Fuuuuck. It was time to bail. Tim took off, face flushed with shame. He tore away from that whole interaction followed by what he was sure was a shouted “Creep” from Danny. Fuck, fuck fuck. He had royally fucked this up so badly.